


The Sound Of Crashing Cars

by I_Am_Crying



Series: Make This Chaos Count [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire, Bottom!Stiles, Established Stiles/Derek, Full Shift Werewolves, Lydia and Stiles BROTP, Magic!Stiles, Pack Feels, Scent Marking, Scott Is A Bad Friend (But Not Really), Smut, Werewolf Stiles Stilinski, bottom!Derek, pack fluff, soul mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-05-31 10:47:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 36,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6467242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Am_Crying/pseuds/I_Am_Crying
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles' first few months in the world of the supernatural were chaos, and by the end of it, his magic was unbalanced, leaning on a precarious edge as the bite took hold. Now, with the power of an alpha warring with his magic, Stiles must navigate the increasingly unstable pack and world that have become so dear to him. </p><p>''For minutes and minutes, the magic started calling out inside him, calling out for the wolf. Eventually, Stiles' own magic joined the call. Howling, howling for the wolf.''</p><p>(CURRENTLY BEING REVISED)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles meets his mother's brother.

Stiles woke up on the first day of summer break, filled with anxiety. He stared up at his ceiling, panicking in his head.  _June 26th. Fuck. What if he hates me? I'm going to fuck this up. I won't be able to control it and I'll ruin everything my pack's worked for._

Before his mind could take him anywhere else, his phone buzzed next to his head.

**> Sourwolf**

_**\- Stiles, stop worrying.** _

Even after the months that they'd been together, it still surprised him how well Derek  _got_ him. They'd hit something of a stand-still in their relationship though, and while neither of them really minded, it made Stiles worry now and again that Derek would get bored of him.

After he'd discovered his magic a few months previously, he'd found himself pushed deeper and deeper into the supernatural, beginning to see the world around him for what it really was.  In the midst of battling hunters and a rogue alpha, Stiles and Derek had discovered their mate bond. They'd been creeping rather close to a passionate, explosive relationship, but then Stiles was bitten.

It still made him shudder to remember how Gerard Argent had forced the alpha to bite and turn him, making him a test subject for Gerard's sick experiment to see if he could survive the turning. The full moon had forced the lycanthropy into his body and he'd somehow managed to kill the alpha, taking the power for himself as his pack removed the rest of the threat.

The Hale pack had even gained allies in Chris and Allison Argent that day, but the concern about Stiles was deep and sometimes suffocating. 

Stiles' turning had put an end to his and Derek's physical relationship. Both were willing, eager, but when it became clear that Stiles had a very dangerous and volatile concoction of magic inside of him, they both decided it best not to get him too worked up. 

After Stiles had been turned, Talia and Rowan, Derek's parents, had been worried that Hunters or supernatural creatures would hear about Stiles' existence and come to put him down or steal his power. The Hales had called on many old allies, and three-quarters, meaning one hundred and fifty, of California's supernatural population had come flooding into Beacon Hills to protect Stiles and his pack. There had been more the Hales could've called, by the ones further away would not have been so happy to leave territories behind. 

The new Supernatural presence in Beacon Hills hadn't bothered Stiles as such, the alpha in him would rise angrily when felt them as they came close to his house or the Hale house, but for the most part he'd gotten quickly used to the werewolves nodding to him in the street and the witches ruffling his hair as they passed. His new abilities had made him able to detect the supernatural, but apparently, the supernatural already knew who he was. New faces appeared every day as common ones gained more familiarity. 

There was one, however, that he wasn't sure if he was ready to meet. His mother, Claudia Stilinski, formerly Claudia Brzezicki, had fled to America when her clan of sparks in Poland had been slaughtered, making her the only survivor. Stiles hadn't missed the insinuation of responsibility on his shoulders when Talia and Deaton had told him the story, informing him that he was the last heir of his mother's people. 

But it turned out he wasn't the last. Deaton had received word of a Brzezicki spark, an impossible being, roaming across the east. They'd managed to make contact, and discovered Cezary Brzezicki, his mother's only brother, and only remaining family. Stiles had had months to come to terms with this, but it didn't take the sting away whenever he thought about the man he would soon meet, and the family he'd lost, had never even known.

It had taken his uncle a long while to get to America, having had business elsewhere, but he'd finally arrived the previous night and was apparently excited to meet Stiles. His uncle was supposed to be very powerful, especially if he'd survived the massacre and stayed alive all these years. It was hoped that he would be able to help Stiles gain control of the power he possessed.

Stiles shot a quick reassuring text to Derek and finally dragged himself out of bed, his nose tingling from the dust in the air and the sweet scented breeze coming through the cracked window. It was a morning very similar to that after he'd been bitten, but he shook off the memory. It had been a sweet memory of Derek but was tainted by the subsequent memories of Gerard and the alpha. 

Gerard had abducted Peter in the hopes of getting Stiles to submit to the bite. Stiles had been forced to receive it and Peter had almost been killed before their pack mates had managed to reach them. It was too late for Stiles though, who'd already been turned and forced to take the life of the alpha that had bitten him. Given the choice though, Stiles would do it again in a heartbeat. Gerard would've happily murdered Peter, and Stiles wouldn't allow it. Peter's wife Samantha had recently passed the due date of her child's birth and Stiles felt a flush of familial affection when he thought about Peter's uncharacteristic panic and Samantha's gentle rebuttal of his constant smothering worry. 

Becoming an alpha had driven Stiles' pack instincts even further than they had been when he was human. Even before turning, he'd scent marked and followed pack dynamics without conscious forethought. As a human, he'd even challenged the rogue alpha's claim over Isaac and called the beta to his side as if he were an alpha himself. Now Isaac had become his unofficial second within the dynamics of the larger pack. It was uncomfortable sometimes, with Stiles' alpha unsure of itself but mostly unhappy to follow another alpha. Stiles fought a constant internal battle between staying in his pack and urging to turn away to forge his own. He wasn't ready for that yet, none of them was.

Werewolves were supposed to be able to take the form of real wolves, but Stiles had thus far been unable. He'd been able to call his eyes and claws and once his beta shift, but only when provoked and never on purpose. Without even that, he was miles from achieving his full shift. Derek had once explained to him what it felt like to contain a wolf, separate, but the same as well. Stiles had never felt the prowling beneath his skin, only the occasional flash of anger, or on one occasion a wash of paternal pride for Isaac. 

When he'd been turned, with the rush of the full moon over his head, his magic and his lycanthropy had been forced to mix and merge for him to find the strength to kill the alpha. It had left him weaker though, if anything. He couldn't use his magic without his wolf and vice versa, but it just wasn't happening. If it weren't for his magic, he would have forcibly rejected the bite and died. Deaton had told him over and over that he had to accept the wolf to find control, but Deaton, and to a certain extent Stiles himself, weren't aware of the crippling fear that held Stiles back from his wolf. 

He'd been terrified of hurting others, even before he was turned. It turned out that the reason for his magic's volatility and uncontrollability was due to a spell cast on Gerard's orders, but it had still frightened Stiles. Now, with alpha in his blood, he was stone cold terrified of the medley brewing under his skin. 

The Hales had run him through the basics of control, but none of them wanted to explore his power too much while School was still going. All of the pack's teenagers had come dangerously close to not being allowed to finish the year with their poor attendance, and Stiles needed all of his focus there. But now that the summer had begun, no such barrier existed and the floodgates of his identity crisis were about to open.

Stiles pulled on some clothes that had been sitting on the back of his desk chair. He wanted to look nice and to make a good first impression, but he had no doubt his clothes would be ruined before the end of the day. He tucked his phone into the pocket and took a long deep breath, letting the old scents of the room calm him as he steeled himself. He could do this. He  _would_ do this. He'd be fine. 

His dad was sprawled on the couch in front of the TV when he got downstairs. The Sheriff had been on the night shift and couldn't have gotten in long ago. 

''Hey dad'' He said quietly, his usually erratic behaviour dampened slightly by his nerves. 

John blinked at him for a moment, slightly bleary. ''Hey son, how are you doing?''

''I'm okay.'' He shrugged. ''How was work?''

''Same old. I met Cezary last night. He seems to be a good man, he's just like your mom. I think you'll like him.'' 

Stiles stared at his dad. John had been unsure about meeting Stiles' uncle. He was upset at first, that a relative of Claudia's had been alive all this time without contacting them. He'd eventually moved into a casual suspicion and was now settled and was tentatively pleased while somewhat worried about reopening old wounds. 

''I- Good. I'm glad. I hope so too. I love you, dad.''

''Love you too, kid.'' 

With that Stiles picked up his keys from near the door and left the house, climbing up into the Jeep and starting the engine as his stomach lurched. A crescendo of panic came over his senses as he pulled onto the muddy track that led through the preserve to the Hale house. On autopilot, he was able to pull up behind the familiar Camaro, but a startling emptiness overcame him. He climbed out of the car and was met by Derek.

''Stiles, are you okay?'' 

Stiles didn't really hear him, moving towards him on instinct but mostly mentally checked out.

''Stiles? STILES!''

Derek's loud shout brought him back and his eyes flashed red, just for a second. He blinked up at Derek. ''Sorry. Hey.'' 

Derek frowned at him for a second more, but then he broke into a smile and hugged him, before drawing him into a kiss that sufficiently distracted him from his panic. 

'' _I know you're worried little red, but this guy's your uncle. He's your family and he's going to love you, same as everyone else.''_

Stiles hadn't managed much with his power, but he and Derek had managed to strengthen their bond and developed the telepathy that previously they had barely explored. Telepathy was almost unheard of in a mate bond, and Deaton wasn't sure how much Stiles' magic factored into it. Neither of them really cared.

_''Yeah, I know. Thank you. I can do this, he's just a dude, right?''_

Derek nodded encouragingly and they headed for the house. Isaac met them in the living room and gave Stiles an abrupt hug before pointing them in the direction of the kitchen. He followed them through quietly. Talia and Peter stood at the other end of the room, heads together in discussion. 

''Stiles!'' Talia said brightly when she noticed them. Peter grinned at him. 

''Cezary is in the trees passed the back garden when you're ready to meet him.''

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Panic started building up again, thrumming desperately in his chest as white noise filled his ears. Derek's hand landed on his shoulder, and it was saved, just for a while. They walked through the open back door and Isaac stopped in the doorway, dithering unsurely. 

''C'mon,'' Stiles told him, and he followed, a small smile on his lips. Stiles walked into the trees, flanked by Derek and Isaac and letting his instincts guide him to where he needed to go. They walked for a few minutes, and just as Stiles was beginning to become unsure that they'd find the guy, they came upon a clearing and stopped. The man sat, cross-legged with his back to them in the middle of a well-lit circle of grass. They stood there for a second, unsure if they should announce their presence.

Just as Stiles was about to awkwardly clear his throat, the man stood up and turned to them. Stiles' worry was forgotten. The man looked just like his mother, with the same kind eyes and soft features, more masculine on his male face. His build was very similar to Stiles', and Stiles could practically taste the wisdom and power coming from him, even though he couldn't have been older than twenty-six or seven. 

''You must be Przemyslaw, gosh gosh, przepraszam, you look so much like Claudia.'' 

Cezary's voice was rich with a thick polish accent, and Stiles recognised the apology in his uncle's native tongue. His voice was like Claudia's, as if a room full of people could stop and be completely at peace, just listening to him speak. Derek and Isaac both shifted behind him, surprised by the use of his real name that neither of them had known.

''Cezary. I'm so glad to meet you.'' He tried and failed to keep the awe from his voice. 

 With that, Cezary strode towards Stiles and wrapped him in a hug. Stiles already knew they'd be great friends, great  _family._

''Now now, braciszek, who are these two behind you? Pack, of course.''

Stiles flushed happily at the nickname and turned to his tiny pack, his own within his own.  ''This is Derek Hale, my mate and magic anchor.''

Cezary turned a curious eye to Derek. ''Ah yes, Talia's son. You're keeping my nephew safe, yes?'' 

Derek blushed slightly but nodded vigorously. 

''Good. And who is this pretty one?'' He looked over to Isaac with a smile, and Isaac went completely red.

''This is Isaac, he's sort of my beta.'' His gaze turned down slightly, an odd shame filling him. God knows he loved Isaac as a brother and he'd hate to lose the bond they had, but he was ashamed that he couldn't do anything  _right._

''Yes, yes, I've heard the story braciszek, but I must say I would like to hear it from you.'' 

So Stiles recounted the story of how Isaac had saved his life in the woods when Boyd had been turned, and how Stiles had defended Isaac from the alpha in return, breaking Isaac's feeble connection to the alpha and replacing it with a much stronger bond that could not be broken so easily. 

Cezary's eyes went wide and proud as Stiles recounted the tale. After a moment, he stepped forward and held a hand out, barely inches from Stiles' chest. ''Might I?''

Stiles nodded his consent and his uncle placed a hand on his chest and closed his eyes. Stiles felt a wave of warmth wash over him, and then Cezary withdrew his hand. 

_''In protection, in loving and being loved, and in the call of the pack._ You have beautiful magic inside you.’’

''In the call of the pack? Deaton never told me that.''

Cezary seemed to hold back a scoff at the mention of Stiles' previous teacher. '’It’s written all over you. It is not just you who smells of wolf and pack, it is your magic.’’

After awkwardly skating around it for a minute, Cezary cut to the chase. ''We have a larger issue on out hands. Talia has given me the story of what happened when you were bitten, and I know of your struggle. It is very important that we work to connect you with your wolf, or I'm afraid you won't be able to continue as you are.''

Derek stiffened slightly and Isaac whined low in his throat.

''What do you mean?''

He looked up at his uncle, dread filling him.

''I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but braciszek, if you do not connect with the wolf within, you might not survive.''

Stiles felt like his insides had been smashed up into his throat. His skin prickled and Isaac's hand found his shoulder as his discomfort spread through the air.

''Are you sure you want these two here? Not that I don't trust them but transformacja, connecting with the wolf and breaking free can be very...  _intimate.''_

Stiles glanced at Derek and Isaac who looked back, worried. ''I'm sure. They're family.'' 

''Normally we'd have more time, but now... I only wish I'd gotten here sooner. Usually, we'd have time to work and talk through it, help you find your wolf naturally. Now, though... You feel it, don't you? In the back of your mind.'' 

Stiles didn't have to search far to know what Cezary was talking about. It was there, lurking in his mind and he didn't know how he hadn't noticed it before. It was the beginning of a rot on his magic, a stagnation of power. In his bones and muscles and every cell of his being. His magic was dying, starting to peel away. 

Before he could be overwhelmed, Cezary's sturdy grip latched onto his shoulders, keeping him grounded. ''Braciszek, now is not the time. I don't like doing this, but I'm going to have to force it for you.''

''You can do that?'' Stiles said, breathless. 

''Yes, Przemyslaw, there are many things I can do that I hope to be able to teach you.''

''Stiles.''

''Pardon?''

''Stiles. I go by Stiles.'' 

''Of course,  _Stiles._ You might want to move away from your pack.''

Stiles let himself be led away into the middle of the clearing, his joints feeling frozen as he moved stiffly across the grass. Cezary stopped in the middle and dropped to his knees, indicating Stiles to do the same. 

He hadn't been expecting this when he'd come here, hadn't had time to prepare himself, time to work through the issues holding him back. 

''I wish we'd had more time, braciszek. I grieve for you.''  

Stiles didn't know how Cezary understood so well, but he did. He understood the weight on Stiles, and what would happen next. 

Cezary held his hands out, and Stiles took them. Cezary dropped his head back to look at the sky, and then slowly closed his eyes, muttering quietly in Polish. Stiles felt it, a gentle prodding at his mind, the odd sensation of magic approaching him. Stiles knew he had to give in, to let the magic in and the wolf out. He dropped his head back too and tried to accept the magic.

The magic filled him, buzzing in his arteries and settling like a blanket over his bones. Then it began to pull. Stiles let out a quiet moan of pain as Cezary's magic started tugging at him, plucking at his nerves, yanking at his insides. For minutes and minutes, the magic started calling out inside him, calling out for the wolf. Eventually, Stiles' own magic joined the call. Howling, howling for the wolf. 

When Stiles felt it first, he opened his mouth and cried out, loud and shrill, as much of surprise as pain. The wolf was  _there_ , prowling in his mind just like Derek had described it. The stubborn refusal in his head was uprooted and his entire being shaken to the foundations. This wasn't the same as when wolves were turned like Isaac or Scott. This was different. This was pure and wild and true. 

A sob escaped Stiles as Cezary's magic continued picking at him, a tug turning into a tear. He was being shredded from the inside, his mind and his body unravelling as the wolf pushed to the front of his consciousness, an  _alpha_ , sharing with the witch. Stiles could almost see it, the red-eyed alpha that glowed with magic, awakening after months, finally free, finally released from its prison in Stiles' mind as the parts of him that had kept it hidden, caged, were removed. 

He twitched as the wolf and his magic began straining at his skin, starting like an itch and erupting into a creaking of his bones, a cracking, a snapping. His body rose towards a summit, a point from which he could never return. The culmination of his suffering, the pinnacle of his pain, the cresting of the power in his blood, all hurtling towards him like a freighter. 

He opened red eyes to the sky, and howled one last time with a human voice as the wolf burst free, flooding every channel and valley of his mind, surging through his system and wrapping and winding, round and round his heart and mind, never to let go.

It started with his extremities, a numbing, prickling pain in his hands and feet. His bones bent and snapped and reshaped, forging a wolf from the mutilated remains of his human form. His shoulders and ribs caved in on themselves, every part of him remodelling into something new, something with fur and a tail and  _strength_ like Stiles had never known. His form rippled until it was still, a correction of a mistake made by nature, an adaptation to impossible circumstance. A before unseen variation of  _wolf._

His wolf throat was more robust that his human one and the howl that let loose was enough to deafen, it filled forests and scaled cliffs and there would not be a supernatural soul in Beacon Hills that would not know of his ascension. Derek and Isaac joined the call, their alpha calling them to his side.

Stiles let out a snort from the nose of his wolf form and found himself tumbling into darkness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback is greatly appreciated :)
> 
> { przepraszam - sorry
> 
> dobroć - goodness
> 
> braciszek - little brother 
> 
> transformacja - the transformation }
> 
> I'm sorry if any of the Polish is incorrect!


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles loses control.

Stiles was getting tired of waking up after days of sleep after dramatic things happened to him. It was getting boring.

Everything seemed a lot brighter when he finally peeled his dry eyes open. He took in a deep breath and almost choked on the smell of sweat and dirt and a sickly sweetness. It was like the morning he woke up after being bitten but intensified tenfold. He could hear the creaking of wood and slow breathing from another room. The sheets felt like silk against his skin but he was so much more _aware_ of it, feeling every thread against his sensitive arms.

He couldn't explain how, but he knew that Isaac was in the living room, calm but slightly concerned. Less so, he could feel the other betas, scattered through the house and some further away that he couldn't pinpoint. He tried to sit up, cautious of his state and found himself upright in the blink of an eye.

''What the fuck?'' He tried to ask himself out loud, but all that escaped his lips was a low growl. He clapped his hand over his mouth and footsteps started from down the hall, headed in his direction. He knew it was Cezary; the scent coming under the door was like flowers from mountain-tops and rain from distance places and Stiles wasn't sure why he knew that. They door quietly opened but the small creak rang in his ears like a scream.

''You're awake, braciszek, I'm relieved. I thought you might sleep the whole week away.'' Cezary spoke very quietly as if he knew the sudden sharpness of Stiles' senses.

''What day is it?'' Stiles managed to ask without growling, his voice low and rough from lack of use.

''Tuesday. You slept for three days.''

Stiles let himself flop back down onto the bed, sneezing as a small scattering of dust particles burst from the pillows.

''Your senses, they've finally caught up with you?''

''Will it always be like this?'' He said as confirmation.

''Yes. You'll learn to control them, pay less attention to each, though''

 _''Wonderful.'_ '

''So cynical, Stiles. There are wonders to being a werewolf and to having the Brzezicki spark. You have two gifts, wrapped up in one big slightly fucked-up mega-gift and it's all good, I promise.''

Stiles couldn't help a grin from falling over his features. Cezary sounded just like Stiles when he cursed, and Stiles guessed he must've inherited a big chunk of his own personality from his mom's side of the family.

''You and me, braciszek, the last Brzezickis.'' A sad smile crossed Cezary's face. ''What a beautifully sad tale. I knew Claudia had survived, it was I who helped her get away. She thought I was dead, I wanted her to think so.''

Before Stiles could interrupt, Cezary continued explaining.

''If she'd known I was alive, she would've come looking. I knew she would be safe out here, away from our name and the death and danger surrounding it. I kept track of her for a while, heard she'd fallen in with the Hale alpha and I knew she would be safe. I never knew about you, or I would've come sooner. I didn't come here when she died because I was so terribly sad that my little sister was gone. I should have been here for you, but I'm glad to be here now.''

Stiles watched him speak, his heart hurting as he saw flickers of his mom in Cezary's face.

''What was she like?'' He asked quietly, tentatively. ''Before?''

A distant look took over Cezary's face. ''She was magnificent. Beautiful, like wildfire. Took no shit from anybody. She was powerful and brave. She would do anything to protect those she loved, was willing to do anything it took when it came to that and it served her well when our family was attacked.''

Stiles kept his mouth shut, wanting to hear the story and not wanting to make Cezary stop.

''We were a large clan, twenty-five strong and spread throughout this small town out on the North border. We kept that town alive, our magic was in the trees and the buildings, flickering in the people, even those without sparks. We all breathed as one, with a single thrumming magical heartbeat. I've travelled the world, and I've never seen harmony quite like _that._ Claudia and I grew up with our cousins in the forests, dancing like faeries in the moonlight because we were safe in our haven.

There were a few other supernatural, no pack or anything, but a few were friends, a few were family. There's an old wolf or two in the family tree somewhere. One of the wolves, a young girl, was having a pup with a human. She'd had a troubled pregnancy, werewolf children are often troublesome during the last term, but this one more than most. It was sickly, the poor thing, and she got sick too. Something went wrong just before the birth and she lost the pup. Our healers were out there, helping as much as we could, but it wasn't enough. She went feral and the people we had there were healers, not fighters. Those roles had become quite distinct and it got them killed. She killed three and injured the fourth, who happened to be Claudia and I's father. She went on a rampage through the town, killing several humans before we were able to capture her.

I was thirteen and Claudia fifteen, and we had to watch as our father's wounds were patched haphazardly together and our people poured their magic into him, desperate to save his life. They weren't really healers though, the ones left. He got worse and worse, his strength waning constantly. We'd separated ourselves from human healing, thinking we didn't need it, and it might've saved him. We were crowded around his bed, wanting to be with him when he died, our mother still giving him her magic. We weren't prepared for the hunters, we didn't even know they were coming.''

Stiles' heart sank, even though he knew the ending of the story.

''All of the children besides Claudia and I were with our aunts elsewhere, kept away from what was happening. The hunters went there first. They took two, our cousins, and kept them as leverage, demanding we turn ourselves over, one by one to their forces. They claimed that we'd set the werewolf free because we were witches and they believed our existence revolved around wreaking havoc. As Brzezickis, we were always subjects of hunter suspicion. They believed we were evil and were waiting until we were weakened to make a move.

Our people were scattered, searching for the children, keeping the rest safe, staying with our dying father. Claudia was enraged that our cousins had been taken, one of them, Ada, was the closest person to her in the whole world, even more so than I. She went out, without backup, searching for the hunters. I followed because I _had_ to. We found them, just a few with our cousins, holed up on the edge of town. My magic was weak and untamed at the time, but I managed to get one of our cousins away as Claudia stood up to the hunters. Ada though, she'd been grabbed by one of those fuckers. Claudia's magic was strong, even though she was so young, and when someone she loved was threatened she was truly dangerous. She was losing control. The wind was whipping through the building and things were falling and breaking around her. The hunters panicked and slit Ada's throat before trying to run. Claudia lost control and killed all three of them. There were more though, we knew there were more.

Claudia went searching, her heart set on killing every one of them. It is perhaps the greatest flaw of our kind, that the pain of our loved ones has so much power over us, that we can be driven to such things. The hunters must've found out what had happened because as we searched, the town was slaughtered. Humans, our sparks, the wolves and banshees and all, women and children, _everyone_. Claudia and I ended up back at the house in which our father was dying. The last of our people stood against the hunters, but it wasn't enough. Claudia held them off as much as she could, but in the end it came down to our mother. Our father was dying, and we were in danger. She told us to run, so we did. We were barely a street away before there was an explosion, like a bomb had gone off. When the ringing in our ears had stopped, we went back. Half of the street had been literally wiped off of the earth, the land was smooth and grassy as if nothing had ever been built there. We kept running.

We knew they'd be after us, mopping up after themselves. Four of them caught us at the edge of the town. One of them shot me with a crossbow, just above the heart. I couldn't keep going, so I told her to run. She killed two of the hunters before being forced to run by the second two. I was able to kill one before I passed out from blood loss. I knew she could manage the take the last one.

When I woke up I'd been bandaged and medicated, and I was lying on a soft bed under warm sheets. For a while I honestly believed I was dead. A witch from elsewhere took me in. I never quite knew why, until now. She was very old, but still powerful. She helped me learn to wield my magic for a while. When I asked her why she had saved my life, she only told me, 'The last Brzezicki spark, a powerful heritage, resting on lone shoulders. There is someone in your future who will need your help, or god save us all.' 

I think she meant you. I mostly just accepted what she'd said, but I was confused for a while after I learned about you, because I was not the last Brzezicki, but now I understand. I am the last with the Brzezicki name, because Claudia was a Stilinski until the day she died, because that was what she chose, and you, her son, are also a Stilinski. But I am not the last with Brzezicki blood. Stiles, you are both Stilinski and Brzezicki, and that is Claudia's gift to you.''

Stiles had remained silent and still while Cezary spoke, but now that he was finished he noticed the tears tracking his own cheeks. He wiped at them hurriedly.

''It is okay to cry braciszek, Brzezickis have always been criers.''

Stiles found his voice again, ''If you don't mind me asking, why was it that your people were unable to defend against hunters, if our bloodline is so powerful?''

Cezary smiled sadly. ''We were lazy. We were complacent and we believed that we were untouchable in our little bubble. We had forgotten what it meant to fight for our families and it made us weak. The true spirit is what has been re-awoken in you, and I like to think I too. I've seen it in you already and I've heard it in the stories you. It's not just your alpha who tells tales of you. Stories of the Beacon Spark have reached even the most distant ears. When they hear of the Brzezicki-Alpha, the whole of the supernatural world with either want to kill you or follow you.''

A flash of panic struck Stiles. ''What? Are you serious? I can't let that happen- I have to keep my pack safe!''

''Don't worry braciszek, by the time I'm done here, this place would survive nuclear bombs and a few werewolves won't be a problem.''

 

\----

 

''Brzezickis, Talia! Did you know? Did Claudia ever tell you? I can't believe we had a Brzezicki spark under our noses this whole time and we didn't know!''

Peter whisper-yelled at Talia across the study. Talia hadn't known large about spark history, and Peter less so, but they'd been raised on the tales of the Brzezickis. They knew stories and the whole supernatural world had heard when they'd been wiped out, supposedly forever.

''She told you her clan had been wiped out, right? Did you not think she might have been referring to _them_?''

Talia sighed and shook her head, weighed down by this knew knowledge. ''No Peter, I didn't know. Claudia's arrival came seven years after the Brzezicki massacre and she'd spoken as if her tragedy was recent. Hunters wiping out whole clans isn't that unheard of, I hadn't thought that she could be referring to the Brzezickis.''

''I can't get my head around it. Where do we go from here?''

''Same as before. We keep him safe.''

 

\----

 

''Hit me.''

Stiles and Cezary stood in the middle of the front lawn of the Hale house, both in light clothes. Derek and Peter watched on curiously and Cora pretended to be looking at her phone. Isaac stepped out of the house to join Peter and Derek as Cezary spoke.

''What?''

''Don't worry braciszek, you won't actually hit me.'' Cezary smirked at Stiles and he flushed with annoyance, but admitted to himself that his uncle was probably right. He rolled his neck, shook out his shoulders and threw himself at Cezary.

His movement was sloppy and uncontrolled, all of his force going into throwing his weight at Cezary, without technique or consideration. Cezary sidestepped him easily, spinning him away with a push on his shoulder as he passed. Stiles almost stumbled to the floor but righted himself, frowning. He moved forward again, more slowly this time. He went to strike Cezary's left shoulder as his non-dominant arm, but he stepped away again and knocked Stiles right onto his ass.

Stiles jumped up again, blowing air out of his nose as he righted himself. A prickle of annoyance tickled across his skin. He went again, again and again, ending up on his ass repeatedly, not even getting close. On one particularly tragic failure, he fell face first and ended up with a mouthful of grass. Red flashed across his eyes for a second and he leapt up, growling as he went for Cezary again, more like a predator than a teenage boy. This time, when Cezary stepped away he followed, baring down with long, sharp canines. He could smell the flash of sweetness when Cezary used his magic and it fuelled his anger more. Cezary slipped away and for a moment Stiles' senses couldn't keep up. Cezary's magic was confusing him to keep him slow. When he picked up on this, the red fell over his eyes for real and magic started oozing from his skin. He was full of it, but it was more controllable now. His senses cleared and he was able to keep up with Cezary's next lunge. A ripple of strength passed through him, and all of a sudden Cezary was on his back, staring up at Stiles, astonished. Cezary really hadn't believed Stiles could take him.

The astonishment quickly dissapeared and pride took its place. ''Stiles! That was fantastic! I'm impressed by how much it takes to provoke you, you have amazing control.''

Stiles bit his lip, not completely sure that was true. He missed whatever passed between Cora and Cezary after that, but when he looked around Derek was being pushed onto the grass.

_'Dude, what are you doing?'_

_'Don't call me dude. Just wait and see.'_

Stiles _hated_ being told that, and huffed with annoyance. He stood facing Cezary and Derek, watching carefully for whatever Cezary was about to do. In the blink of an eye, Cezary had an arm around Derek's torso and a long, wicked-looking knife to his throat. Stiles roared, losing any control he had. He ran at Cezary, his magic lashing out to rip the blade from Cezary's hand. Stiles wasn't even registering the calm vibes flowing through his bond with Derek as he crashed into them, dragged Cezary away from Derek with a vicious snarl and force that might've broken Cezary's wrist. He had Cezary pinned within seconds, his long, sharp teeth going for Cezary's throat.

A rumbling growl behind his had his wolf happy in its blood lust. Happy that its pack stood behind it.

_''STILES!''_

The scream was in his ears as well as in his head. The read dissipated and his fangs shifted back to blunt human teeth against Cezary's throat. He looked down at the underlying shock in Cezary's eyes and rolled off of him, catching a glimpse of Cora who had her phone up, pointed up at him. With a snort his body twisted into that of a wolf, wriggling out of his clothes and into his fur, much less painful that before. He caught Derek's gaze, just for a second before he was off into the woods, a sandy blond wolf at his heels.

They ran through the forest for a long while, Isaac at Stiles' right shoulder. Eventually after a pang of fatigue from Isaac that Stiles felt through their growing pack bond, they slowed and came to a stop at the edge of the Hale territory. Stiles slumped in a heap on a thick, wide tuft of ferns that tickled his belly. He put his head on the ground and looked up at Isaac, his gaze sad. Isaac huffed and nudged his side. Isaac proceeded to rub his head on Stiles' side and then flopped down next to him with a contented sigh. The sun kept them warm in their fur and they lay for a while.

After about twenty minutes Isaac picked himself up and shook himself off before bowing his head and shifting back into his human form. He stood up, naked, and eyed Stiles with an eyebrow raised.

''What're you doing Stiles?''

Stiles just looked at him, specifically at his face, his nose twitching.

''As much as I enjoyed this romp, you can't flake like that.'' Isaac's tone took a turn for the commanding and Stiles growled lightly.

''Don't growl at me. We're brothers, you've said it before and you have to listen to me.''

Stiles lifted his head as a sign of his surrender.

''You're my alpha now, Stiles. I follow you. When you attacked Cezary, I was ready to follow you into that too, so you have to consider me too. It's not just you that your actions effect. Your uncle is just trying to help you and you can't run away when it gets hard. You owe it to yourself, and to your pack, both of them, to find your control.''

Stiles stared up at him, surprised by his outburst. He was more proud of Isaac than anything, for standing up for himself. He got to his feet and imagined his body turning back into human. Upright on two legs, he apologised.

''You're right, I'm sorry. I need to get my head out of my ass.''

Before he could say anything else, they were interrupted by two sleek brown wolves trotting into sight. Stiles growled, threatened by werewolves on his territory, but somewhat placated by their passive demeanour. It also didn't make him feel any better that both he and Isaac were naked, making them more vulnerable.

''What do you want?'' Stiles asked, carefully letting the alpha bleed into his voice to keep the shake out of it.

The wolves bared their necks, an obvious sign of submission, and shifted back into their human forms, both then sending a nod in Isaac's direction, acknowledging the position he had instinctively taken as Stiles' second. They stood up as two young adults, a girl and a boy, obviously fraternal twins from their stark similarities. Both had large brown eyes that matched their hair and fur, were well built and very attractive.

Stiles had to get a reign on himself, which proved difficult. Isaac turned bright red beside him. Both werewolves were naked, but didn't seem bothered. Stiles remembered what Derek had said the other day about werewolves being much less bothered by nudity than humans. He tried to cover his junk with hands without being too obvious about it.

''Please alpha, we meant no disrespect. Talia Hale has given us explicit permission to be here on her land.''

Stiles' gaze flickered to the girl. He was sure he recognised her, now that he took a closer look. He was sure he'd seen her around, along with the rest of Beacon Hill's temporary supernatural residents.

''Okay. Did you want something specifically? If you wanted to speak to Talia you could have come to the front door.'' He asked, finding himself unsure of the etiquette for the situation.

''Actually, we were hoping to speak directly to you. My name is Roma and this is my brother Adrian. We were just on our patrol route when we smelled you here.''

Stiles stopped himself from stepping back in surprise.

''Okay. My name's Stiles Stilinski and this is Isaac Lahey.''

''We know who you are.'' Adrian said quietly. 

Stiles didn't really know how to respond to that. ''I'd like to return to the Hale house to resume this conversation with more clothes involved.''

''Of course.''

Stiles shifted back into a wolf first, not wanting to be human when the werewolves were in wolf form. He didn't expect to be attacked, but he had to be sure. They padded back to the house quickly, Stiles and Isaac in the lead. When they got closer Derek spoke to Stiles.

_'Are you okay? Are you coming back?'_

_'Yes. Bringing werewolves.'_

Derek would know by Stiles' curt reply that Stiles was in wolf form. Although Stiles was in control, his wolf was predominant in his mind while shifted and wasn't one for words.

Derek must have told the pack that Stiles was bringing company, because an entourage was waiting on the porch when they returned. Cezary wasn't in sight. Stiles and Isaac slipped through legs to change in the house and the following wolves were given clothes by the pack.

Fully dressed, Stiles and Isaac returned outside to meet the wolves. Both were dressed in the generic sweats and tees that the pack kept around for stray shifts. Stiles descended the porch steps with Talia at his side, towards them, Isaac at his right shoulder and Derek at Talia's left.

Roma and Adrian bared their necks again, obviously to Stiles, which, unbeknownst to him, showed that werewolves could see that Stiles outranked Talia now.

''Forgive us for the interruption, we would have come straight here, but...'' Roma trailed off, glancing uncomfortably at her feet.

''It's okay. Our pack can be intimidating, I understand.'' Stiles said, surprised himself. Something in him was stirring at the presence of new wolves.

Roma smiled slightly and her brother spoke up for the first time. ''We're in Beacon Hills on behalf of our old alpha. When he received the call to arms, we came because the news of her death was not widespread.''

Talia's face fell. ''You are Roma and Adrian Asbury, yes? Alpha Tanner is dead then? That's an incredible shame.''

They both nodded. ''Our Alpha's connections died with her, I'm afraid. We won't be of much help towards the cause for which we came. When we arrived and heard about the new powerful presence here-''

Stiles cut him off, ''Please don't be so formal. It's making me twitchy.''

Adrian broke out into a grin, clearly finding the pleasantnesses he'd been hoping for. ''Sure. We heard that there was an alpha witch, and we didn't really believe it. That was why we approached you in the forest. We really were on patrol, but we smelled the wolf and the magic and we wanted to find our if it was really true. And here you are.''

Both siblings looked at Stiles in something akin to awe that made him want to shift uncomfortably. Something told him he should get used to being treated differently, one way or another.

''We'd talked about it before, and when he found out you were real, we decided.''

Stiles looked on, questioningly. Before Adrian could continue, Roma blurted out over him. ''We want to pledge to your pack. Be your betas. Our alpha is dead and we're almost omegas.''

Stiles stared at them, wide eyes, his surprise thick in the air, smelling like crisp mornings. When his head cleared a little, it was his immediate instinct the say yes. Before he could, Talia stepped in, well aware of what he was thinking.

''As I still technically act as Stiles' alpha, I'd like to extend a temporary offer for the both of you to join the Hale pack as a preliminary gesture. Stiles hasn't decided to become the leader of his own pack and with his agreement, so I believe this would be best.''

She then looked to Stiles for conformation. He stared back at her for a long second before agreeing. 

''Yes, that's fine, as long as the rest of the pack are okay with it.''

Talia nodded, already having planned to check anyway. She addressed Roma and Adrian. ''I'll take the opportunity to speak to each of my pack members privately, and we'll let you know.''

Adrian appeared slightly unsure but both were obviously pleased and relieved. ''Thank you, Alpha Hale.'' Roma replied.

Stiles asked the question that had drifted to the front of his mind. ''If this all goes ahead, how do we do it?''

''The next full moon. We run together.'' Talia replied, her eyes flickering briefly to the sky. 

Stiles counted in his head and worked out that they had fifteen days days. He nodded. ''Right, okay then.''

 

\----

 

Stiles found himself sitting around a full table at the Hale house, his face hurting from grinning so hard. After almost an hour Talia had gotten hold of Stiles at his house and asked him to pass on a message of welcome to Roma and Adrian, who were being accepted into the pack. She'd also invited them over for a pack meal after she'd told them how important it was to let everyone's wolves become comfortable with each other.

They'd all been slightly unsure of how to tread around each other, but once they'd been sat around the long Hale table, piles of Pizza boxes between them, ready to be opened, everything relaxed, like it was supposed to be. The pack had been wary of the two new wolves in their house, but as soon as Roma had mentioned her love of lacrosse and half of the betas had launched into a heated discussion about it, Stiles knew they'd all get along like a house on fire.

He was the most pleased about how Isaac was taking it. Stiles knew their pack bond was still fragile and sensitive, but Isaac was taking it all in his stride. When Adrian had asked Isaac a question about something, Isaac had lit up and dived into the discussion. Stiles could feel Isaac's happiness through the pack bond and he made a mental note to have a conversation with his second about liking boys, for both of their good. 

The evening passed quickly and before they knew it, Roma and Adrian were saying goodbye and heading back to their hotel room, much happier than when they had arrived. Stiles decided to head home along, so he said his goodbyes and headed out.

He hadn't been home for longer than half an hour when the doorbell rang, shrill in his ears. He could smell Peter before he got to the door, and swung it open easily. Peter didn't look angry per se, but the look on his face made Stiles' heart jump.

''Stiles. Are you busy?''

''No, come in.'' He stepped back from the door and let Peter into the hallway.

They ended up sat at the small Stilinski table, opposite each other.

''Did I fuck up?'' Stiles asked once they were seated, anxiety gnawing at him.

''What? No, of course not. I'm just worried about you.' Peter leaned back in his chair and sighed. ''You've been an alpha for weeks now, but you haven't really been a _werewolf_ for more than five days, only two of which you've been concious. I'm just worried that you're diving into it all too quickly and it's going to come back to bite you. I know how powerful you are, but look at Scott and Isaac, Erica and Boyd and Jackson. It's been months and they're just getting the hang of being werewolves. I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I want to say that I believe what's best is to take a step back. Learn to control it all with your uncle and work through this with yourself. Moving towards accepting those betas, it was brave and a wonderful thing to do, but it will define your place in the Hale pack in a very different way. I'm not saying you have to leave, I would never say that, but as you get more powerful and more rooted in the alpha that you are, being under another alpha is going to be difficult. You may end up having to strike out on your own, not necessarily to leave the pack, but to have your own faction within it, because your instincts are going to go wild once those betas are yours and you have a real pack to protect.''

Stiles sat and stared at him, fangs scraping his lips as he leaned back in his chair, fighting to keep himself calm. 

They spoke a little more about the future and Beacon Hills' current guests before Peter said he had to get back to Samantha. Before he left the front doorway, he turned back briefly.

''Oh, and speak to Derek. He wants to build you a house.''

''Wait, _what?!_ Peter''

Peter climbed into his Camaro and drove away, leaving Stiles in the doorway, letting the warm air out, his mouth hanging open. 

Eventually goosebumps on his skin forced him back inside and he padded through the dark lower floor, slightly shell shocked. He noticed as he walked that although the lights were off, he could see perfectly fine. He'd known werewolves could see in the dark, but it was so much more real now that it was happening to him. He made his way upstairs and sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his hands. 

He considered trying to sleep, but he was far too full of nervous energy. Instead we wiggled his phone out of his back pocket.

 

**> To Sourwolf**

**- _Can you come over?_**

 

He waited for a few minutes, staring at the wall as if it would give him all the answers.

 

**> From Sourwolf**

**- _I'll be five minutes._** **_You okay?_ **

 

He stared at his phone after it buzzed, not really sure how to answer.

 

**> To Sourwolf**

**- _yeah_**

 

He sat in silence for the next four minutes before there was a knock at the window that startled him out of his stupor. He stood up and slid the window open.

''You couldn't have used the front door?''

Derek smirked at him as he jumped into the room. ''This was faster.'' 

It was then that he got a good look at Stiles' expression and his smirk dropped to a concerned frown. ''What's wrong?''

Stiles sighed and moved back through the room to sit on the edge of his bed again. Derek joined him, his torso turned towards Stiles.

''Peter came to talk to me. Talk some sense into me, really. What am I doing? Almost accepting those wolves on the spot like I knew what I was doing. I don't understand any of this alpha bullshit yet. I didn't even fucking think to ask if you were okay with it, I didn't consider the effect it would have on anyone else. I just went to _do_ it, proving that I'm the reckless idiot who doesn't know how to use his power.''

Derek looked at him for a long, silent moment.

''You know, my dad gave me a talk too, a while back after you were turned. He talked me through what it would mean to be an alpha's mate. One of the things he told me first was that sometimes there isn't always an easy answer. There was a different way of going about it _this_ time, but there won't always be. He told me that an alpha will have to make hundred of decisions on the spot, decisions that could mean life and death, and they're not always going to pick the right one, but _no one_ ever could. I know that it's my job to support you, no matter what you choose, because I love you. Your situation is unusual and difficult and we're all going to make mistakes along the way, but as long as we're there for each other, we'll get through it.''

''Your dad is very wise.''

''Sometimes.''

Derek smiled at him, and wrapped him in a tight hug. ''It's all a bit fucked up, but we'll be okay.''

They sat for a minute before Derek seemed to remember something. ''How was your first proper shift?''

A grin broke out on Stiles' face. ''Amazing! The freedom of it, the wind in my fur, nothing compares to it.'' 

Derek looked like he knew exactly what he meant.

Stiles jumped up excitedly, ''Let's go, right now! Let's run!'' He grabbed Derek's hand and pulled him away from the bed. Derek followed him, amused. 

He clattered down the stairs, as ungraceful as ever. He strode through the bottom floor of the house and ripped the back door open, stepping out of his shoes as he did. They stripped in the dark on the back porch, leaving their clothes folded for when they returned. Standing with Derek, neither of them in more than their boxers, Stiles couldn't help his burning blush. He looked away and Derek chuckled. 

He felt the excitement of shifting from Derek as well as his own wolf as he lowered himself to the floor. With Derek under the moon, even as thin as it was, his change was flawless, a fast ripple of his muscles, and his hips were in a different place and he was on four legs, the scents of the night wafting to his nose and the breeze blowing his fur up against the grain.

_''Shall we?''_

Stiles heard Derek in his head, the voice much less wolf than Stiles'. 

_''Yes.''_

And so they ran, together through the underbrush, knocking gently into each other's side as they hurried out into the preserve. The moon may not have been full, but they both felt it in their bones as they ran, four legs much more languid and graceful than two, especially for Stiles.

Stiles stumbled as Derek crashed into his side and they went rolling, playfully nipping at each other. Derek yelped when Stiles got a particularly strong grip on his ear and Stiles let go quickly, licking the pain away. Derek licked the side of his face and they continued dancing around in the moonlight. 

Derek's wolf was slightly larger than Stiles', but besides their colouring, the differences were very subtle. Where there wasn't an inch of Derek's fur that wasn't pitch-black, Stiles' fur was a mix, a few small patches of dark blond, a darker brown more similar to that of his human hair, his back left paw was white while the others were darker and the tip of his tail was splashed with a rich red brown. His eyes were ringed with chocolate brown and he had a small pale patch below his nose.

Derek might've been be mistaken for a wild wolf if he were seen, and Stiles might too, but on closer inspection Stiles might be identified as something else. There was a sharpness to his ears that wasn't seen in the wolves of his pack and his form was more lithe where Derek's was strong and almost stocky. His tail was slightly longer and had a curl to it that Derek's didn't. His face was somewhat longer, his snout more pronounced. His fur was a little longer and had a wave to it.

_''Your wolf is beautiful, you know?'_

Derek told him as they stilled for a moment in their playing. Stiles stiffened slightly, just for a moment.

_''Don't know what I look like.''_

'' _I'm sure we could figure something out.''_

Eventually they stumbled into a clearing, somewhere in the middle of the territory near the Stilinski house that Stiles' wolf had started thinking of as _his._  There was long, lush grass that came high enough to almost tickle Stiles' belly that he had an odd urge to chew on. Derek tackled him to the ground and they found their limbs tangled as they tried to right themselves. After a handful of seconds of struggle they gave up, remaining in a heap in the grass, almost hidden by it. Stiles blinked up at the sky, at the moon hat hung there.

He looked around when he registered Derek moving slightly. Derek untangled himself and moved away, just an inch or so and huffed as he shifted back into his human form, perhaps hoping for communication that his wolf form couldn't quite offer. He sat next to Stiles, human now, gazing down at him. Stiles blinked up, smelling something on Derek that made his heart flutter. Derek reached over and ruffled the fur on his head, rubbing the base of his ears. Stiles closed his eyes and started a rumbling that sounded suspiciously like purring. Derek laughed do loud that he opened one eye to glare at him. He rolled his eyes and thought about turning back into a human.

With a gasping breath he fell back into the grass, human again. 

''I love you.'' He told Derek, feeling as if it were important that Derek knew, right now.

''I know.'' Derek told him with a smile and he punched Derek's bare shoulder lightly. Derek rubbed his arm when goosebumps rose there. He couldn't actually get cold anymore, but sometimes his body still thought he could. 

Derek leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth that tasted like the forest air. He whined quietly when Derek pulled back, but it was only to kiss him properly. Stiles moved onto his knees so that he could snake his arms around Derek's torso. Derek did the same and pulled him closer, his tongue flicking against his mouth, which he happily opened. He scratched his fingers through the hair at Derek's nape and Derek moaned into his mouth, licking around his lips. 

Stiles took a large breath and leaned more into Derek. It wasn't until he noticed Derek's hands on his ass that he realised how achingly hard he was. His cheeks filled with colour, because it wasn't  _just him._

Derek pulled back again, dropping his head against Stiles' neck, licking the skin there with a low moan. Stiles dropped his head back, drawing air into his lungs like he was starving for it. When Derek's kisses dropped to his collar bone, he felt the mood intensify slightly. Derek looked at him, eyes wild and his hair mussed from Stiles' hands in it.

''Are you really going to  _have sex in the forest?''_ Stiles hissed, half joking, slightly unsure of himself.

Derek grinned at him, his hands sliding down his chest. ''We're wolves, we  _are_ nature. No one will come within two hundred feet of here, we stink.''

Stiles huffed a laugh. '' _Great.'_ '

Derek sobered, just a little bit. ''Do you want this?''

'' _Yes_ , Derek. So, _so_ much.''

''Well then, we'll christen your land.''

Stiles moaned slightly, his cheeks flushed as his eyes darkened. They dove back into a kiss, feeling a desperation they hadn't before. 

Stiles' hand moved down Derek's torso, sliding across his abs. He buried his other hand in Derek's hair as he wrapped a confident hand around Derek's dick. Derek moaned into his ear and Stiles saw his eyes flash blue slightly, a sight that almost made Stiles cum on the spot. He pulled gently on Derek's cock, making long slow strokes that made Derek's growl in his ear. 

 _''Stiles!''_ He hissed, pushing forward slightly to find more friction. Stiles blinked at him, and then grinned. He let go and shuffled back, leaning down and gripping Derek's legs. He gave the tip of Derek's dick an experimental lick and Derek growled properly, his face morphing into his beta shift. Stiles felt like he might burst. He took Derek's dick in his mouth, revelling at the slightly salty, bitter taste of precum that spread across his tongue. He couldn't get very far down, Derek was very well-endowed, but he didn't seem to mind. When Stiles eventually added his hand to get the part his mouth couldn't reach, Derek tipped his head back and moaned, long and loud.

''Stiles, I'm gonna...''

Stiles sucked harder and Derek came with a low howl, spilling hot cum into Stiles' throat. There was a lot and some of it dripped down his chin when he pulled off. Derek wiped it off with his fingers and stuck them in his mouth, making Stiles moan.

_''I'm going to take care of you, little red.''_

Derek moved so that he was hovering over Stiles, a wolfish (no pun intended) grin pulling his features. Stiles didn't think he could get anymore turned on, but he was wrong. Stiles almost choked when Derek reached around and stuck two fingers inside himself with no warning.

''Derek!'' He spluttered, grabbed Derek shoulders in surprise. 

Derek took a deep breathy gasp as he moved his finger inside himself. ''Stiles. Was fingering myself before you texted me. I'm all ready.'' 

He slicked his fingers up with his own spit and stuck them in himself. His gaze fell back to meet Stiles'. ''Do you want this? Werewolves can't catch stuff from each other.''

Stiles moaned again, his eyes flaring red and the sweet scent of magic permeating the air. ''Derek, _so much, so much_ Derek.'' 

Derek bent down and kissed him again, slow and smouldering. Stiles gasped into Derek's mouth, his wolf rising to the surface as Derek sank down easily on Stiles' dick. It took everything Stiles had to not cum immediately. His eyes glowed red and Derek rolled his hips, hot and wet and _tight._  

_''So good Stiles, so perfect.''_

Stiles growled up against Derek, his arms desperately tight around Derek as if it might kill him to let go. 

Stiles had known he wouldn't last long like this, and it looked like Derek was ready to cum again with him. 

 _''Derek, Derek. I'm going to cum.''_  

Derek clenched tight around him and he came, his orgasm rolling through him. It was the longest and strongest he'd ever had and he let out a dry sob as pleasure wiped his mind of everything, fangs scraping his lips. Derek came too, cum spilling up his and Stiles' bellies and Sties' chest. 

With a small, slightly tired peck on the corner of Stiles' mouth, Derek rolled off of him, laying in he grass next to him, panting a little. Their fingers wound together from where they were near each other on the ground and it felt oddly intimate considering what they'd just done. 

 _''_ Stiles _, look.''_

Stiles turned his head to look at Derek, seeing white in his peripheral vision. Apart from a small circle around them, the whole clearing with full of bright white flowers, blooming in the night. He huffed.

''That's so cliché.'' He told Derek matter-of-factly. 

Derek burst into laughter, and Stiles never wanted to leave the moment behind.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback is hugely appreciated! :)


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of Beacon Hills new supernaturals reveal themselves.

Stiles dragged himself out from under his sheets the next morning to the call of his bladder. The Thursday had dawned bright and hot, and Stiles stood, squinting as he used the toilet as rays of light filtered through the frosted bathroom window. He had every intention of crawling back under the sheets next to Derek and sleeping for a few more hours, but he heard Derek stir and get out of bed as he washed his hands. 

''Mornin'.'' Derek mumbled sleepily as they met in the hallway. He was blinking sleep out of his eyes and his hair was mussed all over the place, and the creases of Stiles' sheets were still pressed into his skin. Stiles smiled to himself that something so  _human_ transferred over to the madness he'd been cast into.

''Hey,'' Stiles replied as Derek kissed the corner of his mouth. 

It suddenly occurred to Stiles that his dad could still be in the house and he turned his head to his dad's bedroom door, trying to listen for any signs of life.

''He left already. Came in last night and checked on you, but don't worry, everything was covered.''

It wasn't until then that it dawned on Stiles that he wasn't wearing any clothes, and Derek wasn't either. He blushed bright red as memories of the previous night washed over him. Eventually, they'd crept back to his house on four legs, dragged their clothes and shoes inside with their mouths and curled up under Stiles' sheet, still in their fur. They must've shifted back in their sleep. Stiles just hoped the clothes inside the back door said 'werewolf romp in the woods' rather than 'we just fucked'. 

Derek chuckled and kissed him again before slipping into the bathroom. Stiles returned to his room and opened the window, letting the warm breeze float in, bringing the scent of fresh grass and iced tea with it. He tugged on a fresh pair of boxers and flopped down on the bed, not bothering with anything else because it was hot and he didn't care enough to. 

After a minute when he heard the toilet flush, he pulled himself up and padded down the stairs, calling softly to Derek that he could help himself to any of Stiles' clothes. He pottered in the kitchen, putting some coffee on to kick start his brain and rummaging through the cupboards and pantry, looking for something to eat that he didn't have to cook. When he ended up sitting on the table, drinking coffee and eating cooked chicken out of the packet, Derek shook his head and started pulling things out to make pancakes.

Derek had opted for boxers only as well, and he seemed to sense Stiles' eyes on his ass as he bent over to pull a large bowl out of a drawer. He turned to grin at Stiles who reddened and fastened his gaze elsewhere. 

When Derek put a stack of pancakes in front of Stiles, covered in whipped cream and blueberries, Stiles felt a very strong pang of peace. He wanted to wake up to this asshole every day of his life. 

''Love you.'' He murmured as he shovelled pancakes into his mouth. Derek wrinkled his nose in teasing disgust.

''Yeah yeah, you too, you animal.''

''Takes one to know one,'' Stiles said, losing a blueberry out of the corner of his mouth and reaching to snatch it and return it before it fell onto the floor. Derek snorted and shook his head, turning away to drop the pan and bowl in the sink before sitting opposite Stiles with his own plate.

Derek cleaned the dishes when they were finished and Stiles stood pressed behind him, sucking bruises into his shoulders that disappeared as soon as they formed and kissing and licking the tan skin he could reach. Derek moaned quietly when Stiles licked across his triskelion tattoo and so Stiles attacked it, nipping and kissing to wind Derek up. Derek dropped the last dish into the drying rack and turned around with a growl. He scooped Stiles up and dropped him on the edge of the table, kissing him furiously. Stiles pulled away to take a deep gasping breath and Derek bit into his neck, not breaking the skin but digging into it, extended canines scraping against the tender base of Stiles' neck. 

Stiles' hands found Derek's body, his blunt nails scratching slightly before teasing at the elastic of Derek's boxers. Derek went still and it took Stiles a moment to notice. ''Did I-'' Stiles tried to ask worriedly, but Derek shook his head.

''No. As much as I'm enjoying this encounter, there are supernaturals outside, and if I had to guess, I'd say they're here to meet  _you._  My mom guessed that when word got around about those wolves, the floodgates would open and the rest would want to meet you. Didn't think it would be so soon though''

Stiles stared at him, annoyed that he hadn't noticed them himself. Then the loud knock came at the door.

'' _Shit!''_ Stiles hissed, hopping off of the counter and staring around. He remembered the clothes at the back door and pulled on the first thing he touched. He ran through the house to the door and ripped it open. 

Three women stood at his door, and they were so beautiful he was blinded for a second. He registered Derek coming to stand at his shoulder somewhere in the back of his brain. It wasn't immediately obvious that they were supernatural, they smelled so human. It  _was_ there though, sweet like Stiles' magic but more floral and almost cloying when he picked up on it. He cursed Derek silently. He'd assumed they'd be werewolves who'd be able to hear what they were doing.

''Alpha Stilinski. Mr Hale'' The first woman said their names with great amusement. It took him a second to realise he'd opened the door in his boxers and an oversized shirt that very obviously belonged to the tall werewolf next to him. His eyes flickered to Derek who also looked vaguely amused where he stood in nothing but his jeans, as Stiles had stolen his shirt. 

''We're sorry to... Interrupt.'' The first woman said, and Stiles attention was back to her. She had long, bright red hair that was artfully piled up on the top of her head, a wide scattering of freckles, and large, kind green eyes. She was young, not much older than Stiles, and dressed in a fashionable, slightly grungy way that made Stiles begrudgingly envious. Stiles was pretty sure he could see a pencil shoved through her hair and there was a small lick of blue paint of the edge of her jaw. She smelled like flowers and rich herbs.

''Ah, it's fine. Can I help you?'' Stiles asked, embarrassed. Even if they hadn't been able to hear what was going on inside the house, they'd know anyway.

''Honestly? We just wanted to meet you. My name's Fallon and these are my sisters, Keavy and Regan.'' She gestured to the other two girls, on her left then her right. 

''Oh, well it's nice to meet you? Um, do you want to come in?'' 

Fallon grinned and nodded, and the other two smiled slightly. The one of Fallon's left, _Keavy,_ he reminded himself, was the tallest of the three by a fair amount, her hair was closer to brown and was long and slightly curly. She had narrow eyes and a slim face and was waif-thin. She made Stiles think of nymphs that he'd seen in story books. The other, _Regan_ , was beautiful in a way that seemed like she'd earned it, more than been born with it. Her hair, a very pale red, was cut short and framed her round face neatly. She was wearing makeup that enhanced her features and wore clothes that were very neat and almost professional looking. 

Keavy and Regan didn't look similar to Fallon besides their hair colour, and Stiles wondered if Fallon had meant sisters literally or otherwise. Both of them looked younger than Fallon, closer to Stiles' age. Stiles had to admit, he was surprised. He'd been under the impression that the Hale pack was an anomaly and supernaturals tended to be a lot older. 

The three girls stepped past the door after Stiles. He gestured to the table, ''Please, make yourselves at home. We'll be with you in one minute.'' He seized Derek's hand and dragged him to the stairs. Stiles pulled clothes out of drawers in his room frantically, hissing at Derek

'' _I was expecting werewolves! I thought they'd be able to hear us! Why did you let me go to the door looking like that?!''_

Derek watched him, amused. ''They don't care. Hey, don't- Leave it on.''

Stiles paused with Derek's shirt up around his nipples. He glanced down. ''Uh, okay. I don't think anything of mine will fit you though. I could check my dad's room.'' He slipped his shoes on and headed to find Derek a shirt. He pulled out the first plain black shirt he found and threw it at Derek as he descended the stairs, quickly, but not to seem like he was in a hurry. 

The three girls were sat at the table, looking around with great interest. Stiles awkwardly cleared his throat as he entered the room. 

''Uh, do you want coffee? Tea?''

Fallon smiled warmly at him. ''Tea, for all of us. No milk, one, one, and three sugars please.'' 

Stiles stared at her for a second before moving into the kitchen in a slight daze. Derek arrived behind him, moving to help him make the drinks.

''This is a lovely home you have, alpha,'' Fallon told him, looking at the window that showed the back garden and the forest it backed onto. 

''I- Thank you. You should see the pack house, it's mighty. I, uh, if you don't mind me asking, what  _are_ you?''

She laughed, and it was a sound like wind chimes. ''People usually tend to not ask, but we know that you're relatively new to our world, so we don't mind. We're Banshees, do you know of us?''

Stiles cocked his head, stirring the tea in his hand.  ''I've heard the name,'' He said, placing the tea down in front of Fallon, assuming she took the three sugars considering the sweetness on her skin. ''But that's about it.'' 

She nodded, pulling the tea towards her with a thank you. ''Well, we're Irish creatures originally, hence the hair.'' She gestured at the three of them. ''And we tend to stick to our bloodlines, as our powers are stronger that way. There's always been something of a taboo surrounding our kinds of powers, but it's getting better these days, especially in my lifetime. Banshees have a myriad of abilities, and I don't intend to list them all, but the focus is death, though not causing it of course. The Banshee's scream accompanies death, which is why we're, ah, not always the most popular.''

Stiles listened, rapt.

''If I'm being honest alpha, I'm surprised you don't know this, with the banshee in your pack.''

Stiles stared at her and Derek joined in. '' _What?''_  

She frowned at him. ''The Martin girl? The Redhead? We weren't immediately sure because her name doesn't hail to us, but that's not so unusual. We know our own.'' 

'' _Lydia?_ Are you sure?'' 

She nodded, looking unsure now. ''I'm sorry, I did not mean to pry-''

Stiles shook his head. ''No, it's fine. We'll talk to Lydia and I'm confident she'll want to meet you to explore this. Would that be okay with you?''

''Yes,'' Fallon agreed, ''But I'd have to refer to my elders first. I'm just the pretty face they send to represent our people and I'm not allowed to make many decisions.''

Keavy and Regan shifted, slightly uncomfortable, and Fallon glanced at them. 

''I'm sorry alpha, I've interfered. We'll take our leave, it was lovely to meet you though.'' 

Stiles was about to protest, but he could see how unsure they'd all become. Clearly, their heritage was something private and if Lydia didn't know it, there was something else going on. He nodded. ''It was nice to meet you all. You're welcome to come back.'' 

''Thank you alpha.'' They all said together. 

At the front door, Fallon turned back. ''Thank you for the tea. Sorry again.'' She raised her hand in a small wave and descended the porch steps after Keavy and Regan. 

Derek pulled the door closed. Stiles backed up to the wall and slid down it to sit on the hallway floor. 

''Are you okay?'' Derek asked, sitting next to him, their shoulders touching. 

Stiles groaned and dropped his head to his knees. ''Yeah. I didn't even know Banshees were a thing. I think we need to talk to Lydia.''

''I'm with you on that one.''

They sat there for a minute. ''What time is it?'' Stiles asked.

Derek pulled his phone out from the pocket of his jeans. ''Uh, ten fifty.''

Stiles sighed and climbed to his feet. ''Where did I put my phone? I need to text Lyds.''

 

\----

 

''I can't believe you fucked Derek in the woods.'' 

Stiles almost spat coffee all over the floor.

Lydia had stormed into his house half an hour after he'd texted her, asking if she'd come over to talk. She didn't seem interested in why he'd asked her to come over. She'd hoisted herself onto the kitchen table, Starbucks coffee in hand, red hair curled to perfection, and gotten right to the point.

Derek sighed and patted Stiles on the back as he coughed. Stiles put the coffee down next to Lydia and stood, arms crossed in front of her.

''How could you possibly know that?'' 

It was as good as just saying 'yes, that happened' because Lydia grinned from ear to ear and Stiles went bright red. Derek muttered something about asshole werewolves and moved off, deeper into the house. 

''Erica and Boyd smelled it when they were running this morning. They found your little crop circle, quite adorable really.'' 

Stiles groaned loudly and rubbed his hands over his face, dropping to sit cross-legged on the tiled floor.

''And, you'll be happy to know there was a pack pool on when you were finally going to do it.''

Stiles stared up at her, mouth open in horror. She only giggled at his misfortune. 

''Who won?'' Derek asked, sticking his head around the corner. 

Stiles growled at him. '' _Don't encourage her!''_

Derek ignored him and Lydia laughed. ''It was a tie between Jackson and Peter.'' 

Derek rolled his eyes and disappeared again and Stiles wailed dramatically as Lydia laughed again, long and loud. When she stopped, she lowered her voice and asked in a whisper, ''So how was it?'' 

Stiles opened his mouth to tell her but was distracted by Derek in his head.

' _If you're really going to discuss this like teenage girls, I'm leaving. I'm gonna tell my Mom about Lydia and maybe punch Jackson.'_

Stiles looked up at him as he strode passed, his jacket having returned to his body along with his shoes. 

''We  _are_ teenage girls!'' He shouted after Derek, and then hurried to correct himself but was drowned out by both of their laughter. 

Stiles stood up as the front door closed and pulled himself up onto the table next to Lydia, folding his legs up under him. She copied his position, tucking her dress into her lap. 

''It was really fucking good. I was so worried about losing control, and I kinda did, but it didn't matter. We didn't  _intend_ to do it out there, but we were running and then we shifted back and it just kinda  _happened_.'' 

Lydia continued to grill him for details and he answered most of her questions, happy to have a friend that he could discuss this stuff with. It might be very teenage-girl-ish of him, but Scott probably would've just high fived him and then gone back to writing sonnets about Allison's hair or whatever. Stiles loved Scott, he always would, but they were both so caught up in what was going on that they hadn't had time to just hang out much recently. He was glad to have Lydia to talk to. 

After five odd minutes of talking about Stiles' sex life, he turned the conversation around.

''As much as I enjoy talking about this, I actually wanted to talk to you Lyds. It's... These three girls came here this morning, wanting to meet me. They were Banshees, supernaturals. We were talking for a while, and then they said- Well they said that they thought  _you_ were a Banshee too.''

Lydia's eyes widened in surprise for a second. Stiles could see it, could smell it, how she was thinking that it could be true. He guessed that something had happened that she hadn't been able to explain, and this was an explanation for it.

''Lyds, if something happened, would you tell me? I just want to know you're okay.''

She took a deep breath and didn't meet his eye. ''That night, when you were bitten? Jackson and I went up to the Hale house with Erica and Boyd and when we got there they told us what was going on, and- I was afraid that Peter, or you, or one of the others was going to end up dead. I had this feeling in my chest like something bad was going to happen. Then when you killed the alpha? I felt it. I don't know how to explain it exactly, it was like like I knew someone had died, but it wasn't one of the pack. I could feel that it had been you. Then when they brought you back and explained it all, it wasn't a surprise at all.''

She stared at his collar, not her usual composed self. He reached over and put an arm around her shoulder, hoping to offer comfort. Six months ago if he'd been comforting Lydia Martin in his kitchen and talking like old friends, he might have cried with joy. Now Lydia felt like family. Like pack. His wolf wagged it's tail slightly, like a dog. 

''Lyds, the Banshees, they said you could go and talk about all of this with them. Go and find out what it's all about.''

She looked up at him. ''I know bits and pieces. When  _it_ happened I did my research, trying to find out what was going on with me. Banshee made the most sense, but I thought I was just imagining things. I  _do_ want to meet them, but not now. Thank you for telling me.''

She hopped off of the table and grabbed his hand.

''Where are we going?'' 

''Shopping! You're the alpha and all sorts of important people want to meet you. You have to look the part!''

''Lydia, I do  _not_ have the money for that.''

She grinned wickedly as he pulled his jacket on. 

''Don't worry about the money. I have a credit card and a father trying to buy my love. I've got you covered.''

He stared at her and then shook his head. He knew better not to argue, so he just quickly changed into a shirt that fit, and then followed.

She reluctantly agreed to climb after his Jeep when she realised that they had no other transport as Jackson had dropped her off in his flashy piece of shit car. She  _did_ give him a thorough warning about his driving though, which he smartly chose to follow.

The mall was surprisingly pretty quiet when they arrived and Lydia decided she wanted a milkshake, so Stiles trailed after her, slightly bemused. Lydia then proceeded to drag him into pretty much every clothes shop he'd never been into, aka the expensive ones. She started swatting his hands away from the price tags after the first few things because he'd started panicking about money and drawing attention. It didn't stop him from looking into the changing rooms and hissing like the prices caused him physical pain.

Every time she bought something expensive and he griped she'd give him this look and it made him stop, mostly out of fear. He got the impression that she was a stress shopper, and who was he to deny her that? He had to fight his way out of a tuxedo at one point like a dog wrestling out of a collar, and Lydia took the hint that he wouldn't wear anything  _too_ flashy. 

She forced him into button-ups and nice pants (which he quickly switched out for slightly-nicer-than-his-current skinny jeans.) and a few jackets. She then bullied him into two pairs of shoes and a heavy dark coat that, while wouldn't be needed for months, was the nicest piece of clothing Stiles had ever owned. She even pressured him into new underwear, saying, embarrassingly loudly, that if he was fucking Derek he had to stop wearing batman boxers.

When Stiles had asked how she knew about his underwear preferences, she'd told him that Jackson paid an unusual amount of attention in the boy's locker room, and he'd laughed until he cried, intending to use that piece of information as revenge for the sex bet.

Eventually, more than six hundred dollars later much to Stiles' horror, they collapsed back in the food court, Stiles bitching about his feet despite Lydia being to one wearing six-inch heels. Lydia did a satisfied survey of their loot, including some bits she'd bought for herself, and sighed contentedly.

''I think that'll do for today.''

Stiles did  _not_ like the implied future shopping trips. ''Lydia... Thank you. I think this is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me.''

She gave him a hard look, which softened into a bright smile that was rare on her features. ''It's okay, I enjoy doing it. Everyone has their  _thing._  Scott doesn't see bad in anyone, Isaac's a puppy, Erica's got that bitch-but-not-really thing, Allison's adorable, and I have money. Sometimes I wish it was something else, but I can do  _this_ for you, so I'm happy.''

Stiles was surprised that Lydia had told him so much. He'd hoped maybe they were moving towards being good friends, and this felt like a massive step in the right direction. 

''I think you sell yourself short Lyds. You're also the smartest of us all.''

Lydia preened a little, tossing her hair with a smirk. ''Well, I suppose there's that too.''

Stiles fished his phone out when it buzzed in his pocket. 

''Who is it?'' Lydia asked, looking at her drink.

''Cezary.'' Stiles frowned, putting his phone away. ''He wants to meet up and do our thing.''

''I heard about what happened last time. Are you okay?''

Stiles looked up at her and then sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. ''Yeah. I freaked out, but Cez  _was_ provoking me. He put a fucking knife to Derek's neck, he shouldn't have expected anything else. I shouldn't have run, but I guess it all worked out. It'll be fine.''

''Of course, it'll be fine, you're an alpha, asshole. Also, don't think I didn't hear about the Brzezicki spark thing. I looked into it, and they're  _crazy_. That's one hell of a legacy.''

Stiles scowled. ''I know. I try not to think about it, honestly. It's all a bit depressing.''

''They were all killed, weren't they?'' She frowned, looking sad for him. 

''Yeah. Massacred by hunters. My Mom's whole family, besides Cez. He was there for the whole thing too, I can't help but wonder what that does to a person.''

They sat for a few minutes in silence, finishing their drinks. Stiles dragged himself out of his chair and helped Lydia with the extensive bags.

''C'mon then. I'll drop these off at home and then we can head up. Or do you want me to drop you somewhere else?''

She considered it for a moment as they walked. ''No, take me with you. I don't want to go home just yet.''

He looked over at her, slightly worried, but didn't say anything.

' _Hey.'_ He called out to Derek as he drove towards his house. ' _We're making a pit-stop at my house and then we're headed up to yours, Cezary wants to get our training on.'_

' _I'll see you soon then. What did you guys get up to? How's Lydia?'_

Stiles glanced over at her in the passenger seat. She was watching out the window and had been very quiet during the drive.

' _Quiet. I think she's okay, though. She told me she didn't want to go home yet, and I think she's processing and frustrated that she didn't know. Her parents might not either though. We went to the mall. She bullied me into letting her spend a horrific amount of money on clothes for me. I think she finds it therapeutic, though god knows I don't.'_

He heard Derek chuckle through the bond. ' _Sounds like fun. I can't wait to see your new threads, Lydia has better taste than you do.'_

Stiles scoffed to him, though they both knew it was completely true. They didn't say anything more as Stiles pulled into his driveway, his dad's cruiser notably absent.  

''I'll just be a second.'' He told Lydia and climbed out of the car, collecting the bags from the back seat and dragging them all into the house in one go. He hauled them up the stairs rather than leaving them downstairs and having to do it later. He dropped them in front of his closet and headed back out.

''Are you all right?'' He asked Lydia, about halfway to the Hale house. He knew exactly how far away the werewolf hearing extended from the house, and they had about five minutes before they crossed the line. 

She looked over at him, twisting her hands in her lap.

''Yes. Sort of. I don't know, Stiles. I can't stop thinking about this banshee shit. I'm so mad that my parents didn't tell me. I'm also worried that Jackson-...'' She stopped with a sigh.

''Jackson what? Might not love you anymore?''

She looked away.

''Lyds, I have no idea why you put up with that asshole, but I  _do_ know that he fucking loves you. That boy thinks you hung the moon in the sky, I'm pretty sure nothing would stop him from loving you, no matter what, and the same goes for the rest of us. No matter  _where_ your path goes next, if you chose to explore your heritage and become an extra badass banshee, or chose to let it go and stay as you are, you'll still be perfect and you'll still have a place with us. I  _promise_ that.''

She smiled over at him, just as they passed the Hale house hearing line. ''You're a pretty good alpha, you know?''

Stiles grinned bashfully. ''I'm trying.''

She turned her body towards him and he glanced at her. ''If, at the end of this and you strike out, make your own pack and all that, well we all know Isaac will choose you, and Scott and Derek will too, Allison will follow Scott, Erica and Boyd will probably choose you, and those new two will too, if I picked you, would you take me? Me and Jackson?''

Stiles felt a little overwhelmed as she listed the wolves that would pledge their lives to him, but he took a deep breath. '''Without a doubt. Jackson's a dick, but if he comes with you, then I'll take him in a second. I love you Lyds, I'd always accept you.''

She sat back in her seat, apparently happy. ''Who knows,'' she said after a minute, ''Maybe if this banshee thing pans out I could be your emissary. I know you're magic, but I don't think you're allowed to be your own emissary.''

''Yeah.'' He said, grinning at the prospect. ''I'd like that.''

They rolled up to the Hale house, parking beside the rest of the pack's cars. They climbed out and headed towards the house, opening the door that never seemed to be locked and heading inside. 

Some of the betas were sprawled across the living room, using the PlayStation that Stiles had moved here after realising that he spent more time here than at home. Currently, Erica was kicking Cora's ass at whatever PVP they'd found. Erica was laying across Boyd's lap and Jackson was taking up a large amount of space next to them. Cora and Isaac sat on the floor against Boyd's legs and the arm of the couch.

They all looked up briefly when Stiles and Lydia walked in. Jackson stared up at Lydia. ''Are you okay? Testicle two didn't try anything, did he?'' 

Stiles growled at Jackson and Isaac looked up again. ''Listen, dickface, you literally _won_ _money_ because I fucked my boyfriend. What makes you think I'd try anything with your girlfriend?''

Jackson huffed but looked back at the TV screen. 

''Congrats on that by the way,'' Erica told him and he scowled. 

''Yeah yeah, eat it up fuckers. How much  _did_ you win anyway?'' He directed at Jackson.

 Jackson grinned. ''Two fifty. It would've been five hundred but I tied with Peter. ''

'' _Two fifty?_ Fuck, how much did you all put in? How long ago did you start this?''

''That day you magic-bonded with Derek,'' Erica told him as she mashed the buttons of the controller in her hand. ''Everyone else got in on it later. We all put in forty odd bucks and you lost your money if the time you guessed passed or if it happened before the time you guessed.''

Stiles counted in his head. ''Forty each? But that's like  _everyone!''_

''Oh yeah,'' Cora told him with a wicked grin. ''Even mom and dad got in on it.''

Stiles groaned with shame. ''Did Scotty know about this? Tell me my bro didn't keep this shit from me?''

''Sorry. Scott was basically the first to suggest it. He also guessed you'd put out immediately, though you'd like to know.'' Cora looked up at him.

''I can't believe this! I've been betrayed.'' He flopped dramatically down onto the other couch. ' _Are you hearing this shit?'_ He asked Derek.

' _Yep. You'll be glad to know that Laura's having a good laugh right now. Also, she guessed the same as Scott.'_

Stiles sighed disparagingly. ''Why does everyone think I'm such a slut? Also, screw you, Laura!'' He heard Laura laugh extra loud.

''I guessed your seventeenth birthday,'' Boyd told him matter-of-factly. 

''I thought it would be after the hunter showdown, though I had to fight to guess that because there wasn't a specific time frame on that one,'' Lydia told him quietly.

''I guessed Christmas because that's Derek's birthday. So did Allison and our Mom. Our dad guessed your eighteenth because he's a prude'' Cora piped up.

Stiles was mortified that  _Derek's_ _parents_  had been in on the bet.

Jackson said smugly, ''I guessed the start of summer because no one can resist a summer fuck. Peter had the same idea.'' 

Isaac grinned at Stiles, ''I guessed six months because you're a nice respectable lady.'' 

''Yeah, thanks, Isaac.''

They all looked up when they heard Peter shout from the kitchen. Stiles got to his feet and headed through the investigate the odd, salty, slightly metallic smell. In the kitchen, Peter was freaking out. 

''What's wrong?'' He asked, having to almost shout over Peter's panicked rumbling. 

Samantha, from where she sat at the table, answered him as he approached Peter. ''My water just broke. I'm having this freakin' baby.'' 

Peter whined and rubbed his hands over his face. Stiles had never seen him like this before. He clapped Peter on the shoulder as he strode past. 

''Dude, get your shit together. You're about to have a baby. ''

 


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cezary and Stiles train and some important conversations happen.

Talia kicked them all out of the house eventually. She and Rowan had returned quickly after Stiles send out a 911 text on Peter's behalf. They sat Samantha on the couch, aware from Talia's three experiences that the baby wouldn't actually be born for at _least_ an hour. Peter continued his manic pacing and it was putting everyone on edge. Deaton arrived about fifteen minutes after Talia and Rowan, walking across the grass with Cezary on his heels, who was rambling something about Greek Wood Weed. Stiles snickered at Deaton's bemused expression.

After the second time, Isaac asked how long it would be until the baby was born and Peter stopped to growl at him, Talia sent them all away. They all split up, some climbing into cars and others falling into fur or striding off into the woods. Stiles trailed after Cezary into the forest, Isaac and Derek following somewhere behind, deep in conversation. Lydia, having asked to come with too, was at Stiles' side, complaining about mud. Stiles had been surprised when she'd asked, but he guessed she still didn't want to go home.

Cezary stopped about five minutes later in an opening in the trees where there was more space than usual. Lydia sat down on a log, a short way away with a book she'd pulled from somewhere. Derek and Isaac had fallen behind but ambled in Lydia's direction when they caught up. 

Stiles looked at Cezary expectantly. 

''Shift,'' Cezary said after looking at him for a minute. ''Oh, don't give me that look braciszek, I know you're perfectly able.''

Stiles huffed. ''Fine.'' He peeled his clothes off, uncomfortable, and dropped them somewhere between himself and where the others sat. When he was in his boxers he knelt down, shivering slightly, and pulled through his shift as Lydia and Cezary watched on in interest. 

He shook out his fur and padded closer to Cezary, looking up at him. 

''Pretty.'' Cezary said, reaching over and scratching behind Stiles' ear which had his tongue lolling out of his mouth like a dog. Cezary chuckled at him. ''I want you to use magic,'' Cezary told him, and he cocked his head questioningly. 

''Being able to use magic in your wolf form will give you a great advantage.'' 

Stiles looked around and then back at Cezary, who sighed. He reached into the bag slung across his back and pulled out a tall pillar candle. He set it down just in front of Stiles, who stared at it. 

''Light the candle.''

Stiles took a deep breath and imagined the candle bursting into flames. A large flame took to the candle, getting a little too close to Stiles' fur for comfort. He leapt back with a yelp. 

''Now put it out. With magic, don't just blow it out.'' 

Stiles imagined the candle being extinguished and it smoked, making him sneeze. His eyes were drawn to a flash of colour and he looked up at Cezary who was pulling tennis balls out of his bag. Stiles huffed, affronted, and Cezary grinned at him. 

''It's no dog joke, I promise. Well, maybe a little bit. Catch.''

He tossed the ball to Stiles who opened his mouth and snatched it out of the air. The fibres felt weird against his tongue and he dropped it onto the ground in front of him. 

''Don't let any hit the ground.'' 

Cezary started throwing balls at him, pulling at least fifteen out. Stiles managed to catch the first two, both in his mouth, but the third bounced off of the side of his face, so he wrapped his magic around it and send it spinning into the air where it hung. He caught one after another by snatching them out of the air with his magic and lifted the two from his mouth to join the green solar system in front of him. When Cezary had run out of balls, Stiles pulled on his magic and the balls in the air morphed to form the outline of a large middle finger aimed at Cezary. 

Cezary laughed and picked one of them out of the air. ''I didn't think you'd have any trouble.'' He called over to Derek and Isaac. ''Do you two want to help?''

They stood up and walked over, eager to be involved. Cezary plucked more balls out of the air-finger and tossed them over. ''First one to hit Stiles wins. Stiles, if you get hit, you lose.'' 

Without any warning, they started throwing balls at Stiles as hard as they could and he was forced to dance all over the place to avoid them. When the balls dropped and rolled one of them would scoop it up and throw it again. Stiles threw his magic out into the air, filling the air with sweetness and using it like a web to feel when one of them was about to throw and to follow the ball's movement to make sure it didn't hit him. 

After a few minutes, some of the balls came to life with Cezary's magic and started to follow him instead of rolling across the ground. He was forced to leap away and force them off with his own magic. He was so occupied, he hadn't noticed Lydia walk up to the group. 

She threw the ball so hard as his rear that it might've bruised. He yelped and leapt around, staring at her. Cezary laughed and Lydia stared at him with a smug expression. He huffed and she grinned at him. He padded over to her and pushed his head into her hand, demanding ear-rubs. She indulged him, scratching behind his ears and laughing when his tongue flopped out of his mouth. 

''Stiles,'' Cezary called his name to get his attention. ''Again.''

Stiles groaned and left Lydia's side, baring his teeth at Cezary to show his displeasure.

 

\----

 

''Hey Dad!'' Stiles called as he unlocked the front door and walked into the house, aching slightly and a little pissed off that his werewolf healing hadn't sorted that shit out. A call from the kitchen led him through and he met his dad in the kitchen. It took him a second to notice that what his dad was wearing was... _N_ _ice_.

''You headed somewhere fancy, dad?'' He asked, dropping into one of the kitchen chairs. 

He could've sworn his dad went a little red, his heart rate increasing just slightly. ''I have a date. With Melissa. Are you okay to feed yourself, kid?''

Stiles grinned at him. ''Yeah, it's cool. I can't wait until Scott and I are  _real_ brothers!''

He dad glared at him. ''Don't get ahead of yourself. I'll see you later? Sorry to skip out like this.'' 

Stiles got up and hugged his dad. ''Don't worry. I'll see you soon. Send Melissa my love.'' 

His dad nodded and headed out, patting his shoulder before he went. 

Stiles sat alone at the table, smiled briefly and then turned the lights off as he headed up to his room.

About an hour later, Stiles relievedly dragged himself away from the Latin to me that Cezary had given him when there was a quiet knock at the front door that reverberated through the house and upstairs to his sensitive ears. He could tell that it was Scott by the second step down the stairs and he moved through the dark house to open the door. 

Scott stood on the porch, rubbing his hands together and looking nervous, which set Stiles' stomach spinning.

''Hey Scotty, you okay?''

Scott looked up at him and glanced away briefly before determinately making eye contact. It took Stiles a moment of concentration, but he focused in on Scott's heart rate, which was slightly elevated. 

''Come in, dude,'' Stiles told him, stepping back and clicking the hallway light on. Scott stepped through the doorway and closed the front door behind him.

''I wanted to talk to you,'' Scott said quietly, and Stiles eyed him cautiously. He gestured for Scott to follow him and headed into the living room, turning the light on on the way and then throwing himself down on the couch. 

Scott sat next to him, far more upright than his usual accompanying sprawl across the cushions. 

''Bro, you're freaking me out. What's going on?''

Scott took a deep breath. ''Isaac came to see me. Or rather, he came to shout at me.''

Stiles sat up a little, surprise written across his face.

''He told me I was being a shitty friend, and he was right. I'm sorry Stiles, I've been so wrapped up in Allison and my own drama, that I've totally been ignoring yours. I didn't even know you'd fully shifted for the first time until Allison told me, and she'd heard from Lydia. I didn't know that Isaac was your second and I didn't know the full story about the new wolves, about how they'd come to you. I wasn't there for you when you were bitten and I wasn't there when you shifted and I'm so sorry that I've been such a Jackson-level douche. I didn't know how to make it right until Isaac kicked some sense into me.''

Stiles watched Scott as he spoke, listening as his heartbeat screamed his sincerity, and his expression and guilty scent told Stiles that it was all true. Stiles had been ignoring how much he was upset about Scott abandoning him, but now he felt his heart healing before he'd even really known it was hurt.

''No one's quite as bad as  _Jackson_ dude.'' 

Scott cracked a grin, and just like that the hurt and tension were gone and it was like the last weeks of separation hadn't happened at all. 

''How's Allison doing?'' He asked Scott after a moment.

''She'd doing great! I know her dad is finding it really weird, being in a wolf pack after hunting us for so long. It was kinda bad at first for her, after her mom? She was upset and she got really mad at me for being involved, but it wasn't really about me, you know? She was grieving and she'd lost her Aunt and Granddad and Mom in just a few weeks. I know they were bad people, but she didn't and they were just her family. She knows what they did and she's starting to get past it now, but those first few days were really hard. She told me yesterday that she really wanted to give  _us_ a try, isn't that great?''

Stiles' mind left the conversation for a minute at the mention of Allison's family. He'd been trying his best to avoid thinking about being tortured by Kate and what he'd been forced to do to her, but Scott's mention of her brought the memories flooding back. The oldest Argent, however, he didn't feel a  _shred_ of sorrow for. Gerard's blood was on Talia's hands, but Stiles was relieved that Gerard was gone. After he'd orchestrated the abduction of Peter and the rogue alpha to force the bite onto Stiles, in a sick test to see if Stiles would survive with both magic and  _wolf_ in him, Stiles was glad he was out of their lives permanently. 

Scott's question brought him back. ''Yeah Scotty, I'm happy for you.''

''And you and Derek, huh? I heard Jackson and Peter won the pool.'' Scott smirked at him and Stiles punched his shoulder, slightly harder than necessary.

''Yes,  _Derek and me._ Asshole. I heard you started the bet.''

Scott shook his head and raised his hands, but he was grinning. ''It wasn't just me dude! Erica was  _heavily_ involved.''

''Damn, I knew she was lying. But that doesn't let you off the hook dude! I heard you thought I'd put out on the first date!'' 

Stiles' face was full of teasing as well as embarrassment and Scott let out a loud laugh. ''It wasn't like that! I just knew you  _really_ liked him. It was _super_ obvious, dude.''

Stiles huffed and crossed his arms, but his lips twitched, threatening a smile.

''So... It's been a while since I kicked your ass at Super Smash Bros.'' Scott's eyes flared as he challenged Stiles.

Stiles grinned at Scott with pointed teeth. ''Oh Scotty, you have no chance.'' 

 

\----

 

Isaac had crawled in through Stiles' window about twenty minutes after Scott left. Stiles hadn't been startled like he once would have, having had heard Isaac when he landed on the roof. Isaac just toppled through the window, smelling like the forest and looking tired. Stiles had gestured at the space on the bed next to him and Isaac had draped himself across it, face-down in the sheets. 

Stiles, while scrolling through an obscure Wikipedia article with one hand, reached over and scratched his fingers in Isaac's curls absent-mindedly. Even when he was human he'd had strong pack instincts and scent-marked others a lot without really knowing what he was doing. He'd known that wolves were more tactile, but now that he  _was_ one, and an alpha at that, his wolf didn't quite feel right when he went more than a half hour or so without making physical contact with one of his pack mates. 

Isaac certainly didn't seem to mind though, as he shifted slightly closer and a low rumbling started from his chest. After a minute Isaac kicked his shoes off and curled up on Stiles' comforter properly, his cheek pressed against Stiles' thigh and his eyes closed. 

''How's Lydia?'' Isaac mumbled a few minutes later after his breathing and heart-rate had evened out. 

''What do you mean?'' Stiles asked him, looking away from his laptop. 

''Today, she was upset, though I couldn't figure out why. I could tell you were worried about her. Although, if those bags in the corner are anything to go by, she was quite happy to drag you about.'' 

Stiles glanced over at the pile of bags he hadn't sorted yet and smiled down at Isaac who still had his eyes closed. 

''Perceptive.'' He said fondly. ''Yeah, Lydia dragged me to the mall. She'd gotten some news that I think upset her a little and she didn't want to go home yet.'' 

Isaac nodded slightly. ''You don't have to tell me, if it's her business.'' 

Stiles smoothed the hair he'd made stick up and Isaac opened his eyes for a moment to look at him. 

''It's not  _bad,_ just surprising. She has some things to work out, and then I'm sure everyone'll know about it.''

Isaac closed his eyes again, trusting Stiles.

''Oh, Isaac, thanks. For what you did with Scott.''

Isaac went slightly red and nodded, turning his face a little to hide it. Stiles grinned at him.

Stiles scanned the last few lines of the article on his laptop and then closed it, reaching over to put it on his bedside table. He remembered something he'd meant to talk to Isaac about.

''So... Adrian huh?''

Isaac's eyes snapped open. He sat up rapidly and went pale as a sheet, scooting backwards until his back hit the wooden end of the bed. Stiles drew in a sharp breath of surprise and Isaac stared at him, wide eyed.

When Isaac took his first gasp of panic, Stiles instinctively crossed the space and wrapped his arms around his second as tight as he could, letting his scent wash over him. Isaac, unbearably tense, took a second and then dropped his face into the crook of Stiles' neck where his scent was more concentrated, taking deep, shuddering breaths and gripping back hard enough to make Stiles' ribs creak.

''Sorry.'' Isaac eventually managed to spit out, his breathing more even but his grip no less tight. ''My dad-''

He didn't need to say anything else, Stiles understood. ''I know, I know Isaac, it's okay. He'd gone, he's not here. It's just you and me buddy. There's nothing to hurt you here. I won't let him come near you ever again.''

Stiles rambled soothing words into Isaac's hair and the beta slowly relaxed against him, his grip loosening and his pule dropping back, closer to normal. He drew back slightly and wiped his face, his eyes looking slightly wet. He stayed within Stiles' reach as he collected himself. 

''I'm sorry.'' Isaac murmured again and Stiles hugged him again, less desperate and more comforting.

''No Isaac, don't be sorry. Never be sorry, okay? I shouldn't have brought it up unless you decided you wanted to.''

''No, I  _do_ want to talk about it.'' Isaac took a long breath and rubbed his hands over his head. Stiles settled back, stretching his legs out. 

''I  _want_ to be able to talk about it. I just... I just panicked. Hopefully it won't happen again. My father had some... _Lovely_ things to say about gay people and it's still effecting me, I guess.'' 

Stiles wanted to wrap Isaac in blankets and feed him chocolate until all his scars were smoothed away, but instead he reached over to grab Isaac's hand.

''Dude, I'm about as gay as they come, you can always talk to me about this stuff. Even the gross stuff, I promise not to judge.''

Isaac laughed, quiet and a little wet, but a laugh none the less. 

''I don't think you have any room to judge, considering you boned Derek in the forest.''

Stiles grinned at the teasing comment. ''Yeah, whatever. Just... I love you, okay?''

Isaac looked at him carefully, his face open and vulnerable and  _hopeful_ and Stiles' heart hurt. 

''Yeah, love you too'' He mumbled, dropping his gaze to his hands. 

Stiles couldn't hold back a long yawn. 

Isaac's gaze flicked guiltily to the window but Stiles shut it down immediately. 

''Climb in dude.'' He said, wriggling out of his jeans and tossing them onto the floor as Isaac watched, frowning slightly. 

''You sure?'' Isaac asked, glancing at the window again. 

'' _Yes.''_ Stiles told him as he awkwardly tugged the sheets out from under him and wriggled under them. ''If you turn the light out I'll even let you borrow some of my sweet new threads tomorrow.'' 

Isaac smiled and climbed off of the bed, walking over to snap the light off before shucking his own pants and and climbing under the sheets next to Stiles.

''Prepare to be cuddled.'' Stiles mumbled, squirming towards him and lying face-down, tossing an arm over Isaac's torso. 

Isaac made a sound that sounded something like a contented sigh. They fell asleep quickly, their wolves settling easily with a whisper of  _pack._

 

\----

 

Stiles woke up, sweating a little. A quick survey told him that he was so warm because Isaac was pretty much on top of him, limbs tangled with his own. When he tried to wriggle out from under Isaac, he opened an eye to look at him.

''Mornin' '' Stiles murmured, and Isaac hummed in acknowledgement, rolling off of him so that he could get up. A glance at his phone told Stiles that they'd slept until eleven, which was unusually late for him. 

''Ugh.'' He said, stretching his arms above his head. Isaac peered at him from where he'd pulled the sheets up to his nose.

''Toilet, then pants, then food.'' He told Isaac matter-of-factly and padded across the room to the door and out into the hallway. 

When he came back Isaac was sitting on the edge of his bed, blinking blearily. ''Do we  _have_ to get up? I'm s _o_ tired...'' He trailed off into a yawn.

'' _Yeah,_ we do. Samantha's probably had the baby by now.''

Isaac groaned and flopped back onto the bed. '' _Fine._ ''

Stiles started rummaging through the bags of clothes in the corner, searching for something low-key to wear. He tossed a black shirt to Isaac and a black pair of jeans, tearing labels away with a claw as he went. Eventually he went for the same thing, but with a grey shirt over the top. Almost everything in the bags was black or grey and there wasn't a plaid shirt in sight. He pulled the clothes on and took a look in the mirror. 

He'd gotten taller and broader in the last couple of months and the tee pulled nicely across his chest. He had to give it to Lydia, she knew what she was doing. And the black on black gave him a flash of confidence that made him understand Derek a little better. 

Isaac came to stand at his shoulder, also admiring the black on black. ''We look hot.'' Isaac told him, looking his own reflection over. ''I heard rumours of breakfast?''

Stiles grinned at him, turning away from the mirror. ''I need pancakes, immediately.''

 

\----

 

Stiles and Isaac headed for the door about forty minutes later, laughing about the prospect of Peter having a child that was  _exactly_ like him and getting a taste of his own medicine.

Stiles tugged the front door open and squeaked with surprise when he was met by Danny Mahealani, who had his hand raised, about to knock. Stiles took a second to take in Danny's increased heart rate and the spark of salt on his skin. Stiles turned to Isaac.

''Isaac, take the Jeep. I'll find you later.'' He pulled his keys out of his pocket and tossed them over his shoulder, where Isaac caught them.

''Are you sure?'' Isaac asked, resting a hand on his shoulder and looking at Danny who had remained silent and was watching the exchange with interest.

''Yeah. Go.'' 

Isaac brushed his palm across the back of Stiles' neck and nodded to Danny as he passed, crossing the driveway and climbing into the Jeep.

''Do you want to come inside?'' Stiles asked carefully. Danny took a long breath and nodded, stepping through the doorway. Stiles closed the door behind him and gestured to the table at the end of the hall. 

''What's up?'' He asked casually, head tilting as he smelled the slight desperation coming from the other boy.

''Jackson and Lydia keep dissapearing. They won't tell me where to, and they're acting differently now. Jackson told me he liked my aftershave the other day, he  _never_ does that. When I managed to get hold of Lydia this morning, she rambled something about 'death omens' and then hung up on me. Something weird is going on, and I want to know what it is. It's not just them though, is it? McCall, Lahey, Reyes and Boyd. The whole school's been whispering about how you've all been seen around with the Hales, and not just the ones our age. And _you_ , you seem to be the common factor, and I want to know  _what's happening.''_

Danny leant forward across the table, his voice raising slightly. Stiles watched him carefully. He'd had a feeling for a while that Danny was too intelligent to stay ignorant to the change in his best friends.

''Just...'' Danny leaned back and sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. ''I know whatever's going on isn't  _normal_ , I just can't be kept in the dark anymore.''

Stiles sighed and briefly spoke to Derek.

_' Der', Jackson and Lydia's friend Danny is here, he's... He knows something's not right. I'm going to tell him before he gets hurt trying to figure it out.'_

After a moment of hesitation on Derek's end, he replied. ' _If you think it's the right thing, I'll support you. Do you want me to come down there?'_

_'No, it's okay. I think more werewolves would just freak him out. I'll be there when I'm done here.'_

_'Okay, good luck.'_

Stiles met Danny's gaze, and let his beta shift roll over his face. ''Danny, what do you know about werewolves?''

Danny took a sharp breath through his nose and his chair scooted back infinitesimally. His heart rate jumped slightly, but he didn't drop Stiles' gaze and he didn't react any other way. After a minute Stiles shifted back and Danny nodded.

''Werewolves, right. Okay. So Jackson and Lydia are werewolves?''

Stiles raised his eyebrows, not having expected Danny to take the news so well. ''Jackson is. Lydia's just... Along for the ride.'' 

Danny pinned him with a determined gaze that made his wolf grumble. ''Start at the beginning.''

So Stiles did. He told Danny about the night that he and Scott had gone hunting for a dead body, and how Scott had been bitten by a werewolf. He told him how they'd been taken in by the Hales, how he'd accidentally released Scott on his first full moon and his own magic had shown up for the first time. He told him about the hunters and how Isaac, Erica and Boyd had been bitten by the rogue alpha. He left out the part about the torture. He told him how Jackson had been turned. He told him how he'd been forced to turn himself over to save Peter from the hunters, and how the bite had been forced onto him by Gerard and the rogue alpha who'd apparently been in cahoots. He told him how they'd resolved the issue, and how Beacon Hills had been flooded with supernaturals, leaving out the parts about his own importance. 

Danny listened, showing surprise at various points in the story but not interrupting, just sitting and taking it all in. When Stiles had finished, Danny asked the one question that Stiles hadn't been expecting.

''So let me get this _straight_... You're fucking _Derek Hale_?''

Stiles flushed slightly. He'd tried to leave that part out of the story, but apparently he hadn't done a very good job.

''Uh... Yes?''

Danny tipped his head back and laughed. ''I knew it! I knew you couldn't be straight. I'm proud of you for bagging such a hottie.'' 

Stiles went redder and avoided Danny's gaze. ''You're taking this well. So, now that you know, fancy meeting the wolves? I don't know where Lydia is, but I'm pretty sure Jackson will be there.'

''Be _where_?'' Danny asked with a frown. 

Stiles grinned at him. ''The Hale house. The wolves' den. That's where all the fun happens.''

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback is hugely appreciated :)


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is coming.

The rest of the day unravelled in a chaos of pack and Peter's panicking and Danny's entry to the supernatural world. When Stiles and Danny got to the Hale house (Danny had been driving with Stiles' directions as Isaac had taken the Jeep) Danny was taken off of his hands by Jackson to hug it out or whatever, and Stiles sent a text to Lydia to tell her that Danny was in on it, not expecting a reply as none of them had heard from her since she'd headed home to confront her family about her heritage.

Stiles met Derek at the door with a long kiss that earned them a wolf whistle from somewhere in the house. The betas were all forced to stay downstairs away from Samantha who was bonding with her newborn, but Derek and Talia ushered Stiles upstairs, telling him that his wolf needed to know that the new presence wasn't a threat- Not that they believed he'd do anything, it was just for his wolf's comfort.

Stiles knocked on the door tentatively and opened when Samantha called quietly for him to come in. He entered alone, fighting his instincts and baring his neck to Peter who had growled quietly and moved to block his mate and pup from view. Peter seemed to settle at the display and moved back slightly, allowing Stiles to come forward.

Stiles stared down at the tiny werewolf in awe. The baby was awake and gazing up at Samantha, pink and squishy and wrapped in tiny baby clothes. ''Holy crap.'' He breathed, and Samantha huffed out an exhausted laugh. 

''Take him. Be quick, I want him back.'' She offered the pup up to him and he wrapped his arms around him with the utmost care.

''What are they?'' He whispered, reaching up to stroke a finger down the tiny baby's cheek. The baby squeaked and Stiles sighed in awe. ''What's their name?''

''A boy. Tobias Anselm Hale.'' Peter huffed, watching Stiles closely, his eyes tinted yellow, just slightly.

Stiles grinned at the baby. Of  _course_ Peter named his kid something like that.

''Hi Toby!'' He whispered to Tobias who blinked at him. ''I'm your uncle Stiles, I'll be your favourite, just you wait and see.'' 

Peter huffed again and then Tobias squealed in Stiles' arms and started an uproarious scream that scraped against Stiles' ears. Peter growled and Samantha held her arms out to accept her baby back. 

''He's beautiful. Congratulations.'' Stiles whispered, before slipping out of the room and out into the bright hallway. Derek grinned at him, and he grinned back. 

''Fuck, that baby's cute.' Stiles told Derek, who just laughed.

He was met with jealousy when he got back downstairs from all the betas who wanted to meet the baby.

Erica stalked over with a jeering ''Stiles made the baby cry!'' But she grabbed his wrist and took a whiff of his baby-scented hands. All of the betas took a smell in his direction, looking varyingly jealous, or in Jackson's case, slightly disgusted. Stiles thought that if Lydia was here, she might have cuffed Jackson around the head. 

Stiles, Derek, Laura and Cora and the betas ended up sprawled across the living room, legs across laps and heads on shoulders and thighs, all of them squeezed together, tight but not uncomfortable. In fact, shoulder to shoulder with Derek with Isaac's legs across his lap and Scott leaning against his knees with Allison under his arm, Stiles and his wolf felt more content than they had at all yet as a pair. Erica put some crappy movie on and they all watched through drooping eyes, warm and drowsy in their puppy pile. 

Stiles hadn't meant to nod off, and it wasn't until someone gently shook his shoulder that he roused. He turned his head to see Lydia who looked very put-together for a girl who'd just found out she wasn't technically human. She held up a finger to her lips and Stiles nodded. Isaac, Scott and Allison were asleep where they leant against him, as were some of the others. He could see that Erica and Boyd were still awake and Derek was close enough to this side of conscious to kiss the corner of his mouth. The others were content to keep sleeping the morning, and now early afternoon, away.

Stiles carefully lifted Isaac's legs and slid out from under him and Scott, stepping carefully over Jackson's legs and Cora who'd draped herself across the floor and was now dead to the world.

When he reached Lydia's side she took his hand and gave it a squeeze, leading him out of the house. They sat together on the porch for a while, hands still intertwined, giving Lydia the physical contact she was too proud to ask for. Stiles listened to Lydia's steady heart and the crickets in the grass in the distance for a while, until Lydia decided she was ready to talk.

''I confronted my mom.'' She told him, eyes fixed on something in the distance, her hands gripping his slightly tighter. ''She... She's not like me. I get it from my grandma apparently. I didn't really know her before she died. My mom knew what she was, what I might be, but she's pretended not to know about this world for so long that she'd fallen into the lie and hasn't really managed to climb out.''

When she didn't say anything further, Stiles prompted, ''How does she feel about it? What you are and what you're involved in?''

Lydia sighed. ''I think she'd happier to ignore it than to acknowledge it. She doesn't... I'm on my own.''

Stiles frowned and pulled on her hand so that she was forced to turn his way. ''That's not true. Tell me you don't believe that.'' 

Her face softened slightly. ''I know, Stiles. I'm sorry. I just don't know what to do now.'' 

He leant forward and wrapped his other arm around her shoulder so she was under his arm, their hands still clasped somewhere in the middle. ''We'll figure it out. If you want to meet those Banshees, I'll go with you. If you don't, I'll still go with you. You're stuck with me now.''

He heard her breath a quiet laugh and his heart lifted a little.

''You making a move on my woman, Stilinski?''

They turned at the sound of Jackson's sleepy voice. He blinked sleep out of his eyes as he looked the two of them over. From his expression and scent, Stiles could tell that he wasn't being serious.

''Sure Jacky, as if you didn't win that cash.'' 

Jackson ignored the nickname and smirked when Stiles reminded him of the pool. He descended a few steps to sit on Lydia's other side. Stiles withdrew his arm from Lydia's shoulder and let go of her hands, only to switch to her hand as they sat shoulder to shoulder. Jackson took Lydia's other hand and they sandwiched her in, keeping her warm in the cool breeze with supernatural body temperatures. 

''My boys,'' Lydia said, dropping her head on Jackson's shoulder, uncharacteristically fondly. ''What would I do without you?''

''Probably rule the world,'' Stiles told her.

''But you love us anyway.'' Jackson finished, and Stiles had to clamp down on his heartbeat as best he could so Jackson wouldn't hear how it soared at the easy acceptance. 

He'd never imagined or wanted, to befriend Jackson, but now he thought that maybe in a few years, they could even be brothers.

''Stilinski, call me that again and I'll rip your throat out.'' There it was, the real Jackson, though his teasing tone gave hope for a less dickish future. 

''Sure Jacky, you'd try.'' Stiles grinned, his wolf grumbling at the challenge, despite the joking nature. 

Jackson growled at him but Lydia pushed her shoulder against his and he stopped.

Their moment was disrupted by Cezary's voice drifting across the open space. ''Stiles!'' 

 

\----

 

Stiles lay in bed that night, somewhere closer to sleep than consciousness. His wolf rumbled oh so quietly, at the peace of the moment with Derek's skin pressed against his, listening to the breeze jostling the leaves on the trees outside the window. The room was cool and the sheets were soft. 

''Stiles?'' Derek mumbled his name as he turned over to look at him, his adorably confused expression signifying that he was still mostly asleep.

''Do you think we'll still be here?''

Derek blinked at him, lifting a hand to graze his fingertips along Stiles' hypersensitive skin. ''What do you mean, little red?''

Stiles' heart swelled, just a little. Derek had fallen out of the habit of using his nickname, but it was back now. 

''Do you think we'll still be here in ten years? Fifty?''

Derek scrunched his nose as he thought. He leant forward to kiss Stiles' shoulder and murmured into the skin there.

''I don't know. This will always be our hometown, but I know my home is with you. We might not be here in Beacon Hills, but I know we'll be  _here_ for a long time after this.''

Stiles took a long, deep breath and let it out slowly, sinking further into his mattress. ''I love you Der'.'' 

''Love you too.'' 

 

\----

 

The next day dawned bright and early and  _loud_. 

''Turn that shit off,'' Derek grumbled from next to him and he flailed, trying to figure out with his sleepy brain, where  _Fell In Love With A Girl_ was playing from. When he remembered that it was Lydia's ring tone, he snatched up his phone and answered. 

''Yeah? Lyds, it's  _so_ early!''

His heart almost stopped when he heard Lydia's tone and he sat bolt upright, listening carefully to what she was saying. 

_''Stiles! Stiles, please come quickly. It's Jackson, he's- He's been hurt.''_

''Lydia, where are you?'' 

Derek had sat up next to him, his eyes much clearer, all traces of sleep gone. As Lydia answered, Derek climbed off of the bed and started pulling his clothes on, tossing some to Stiles as he went.

 _''I, uh- We're near the school-''_ She went quiet for a second, and Stiles wrestled his clothes on in desperation. 

Gripping his phone between his ear and shoulder, he laced his shoes more quickly that he ever had before. ''Lydia! Lyds!''

_''Sorry, the thing- I think it's still around somewhere. We're in an alley, behind those stores, you know with the hipster coffee place?''_

Stiles did know where she meant, and he headed for the door, wolf rising to the surface. He missed half the stairs in his hurry to get down them and his feet hit the floor with a loud thud and an impact that would've twisted his human ankles. He snatched up his jacket and keys and went for the door, Derek hot on his heels. 

''Lydia, we're coming. Lydia?''

 _''Stiles-''_ The line went dead, and Stiles glanced at Derek, who looked equally as grim. They climbed into the Jeep and Stiles started the engine, racing out of the driveway and down the road as if hell were biting at his heels. 

They were exceptionally lucky that none of the deputies was out and about as Stiles drove because as much as they liked him, they couldn't excuse his ninety plus speeds in fifteen and twenty zones. If not for his improved reflexes, he would've died about six times on the journey, but instead, he weaved through town like an action movie and pulled up in front of the stores Lydia had mentioned with a screech of his tires. He gave the Jeep a quick pat on the dashboard and he scrambled out of the car.

They rounded the corner to the alley where Lydia and Jackson should be. At the end of the alley on the concrete, Jackson lay bleeding onto his expensive clothes. Lydia was nowhere to be seen. Stiles cast a grimace to Derek as he scooped Jackson up. He couldn't see Jackson's injuries for the blood, but it didn't smell good. 

''Can you get hold of your Mom?'' Stiles asked as they headed for the end of the alley. 

Derek pulled his phone out of his pocket immediately. Stiles listened carefully and when he couldn't hear anyone on the street he ran for the Jeep, careful not to jostle Jackson too much. He heard Derek speaking to Talia behind him as he placed Jackson gently in the passenger seat of the Jeep. 

''She's sending Peter down here,'' Derek said, squeezing Stiles shoulder. Stiles was surprised that Peter would leave his kid, but he was glad for the backup.

''She's going to meet us at the clinic.'' He looked at Stiles for a second. ''You're going after her. I'll meet you at the clinic.'' 

Stiles pulled him into a quick kiss, his eyes flashing red. 

_'I love you.'_

Derek smiled, rounding the car and climbing into the driver's side.  _'Yeah, I love you too. Be safe, and find our girl.'_

Stiles stood and watched as Derek drove the Jeep, quickly but sensibly, to the end of the road and then around the corner. As soon as Derek was no longer in sight he felt the wolf take over, and his magic prickle to the surface. Whoever had Lydia had better pray she wasn't hurt by the time Stiles found them. He could smell Lydia faintly across the road that led and into the trees, so he followed. 

It couldn't have been more than ten minutes since she'd first called him, but she somehow had a massive head start on him. He followed her trail through the trees, weaving left and right to follow her steps. He couldn't smell anything else, so he had no idea what could've sent her running for her life. After another couple of minutes, something came crashing out of the bushes. He leapt on it, tackling it to the ground and pushing his elongated fangs to its throat. 

''Stiles! Stiles, it's just me!'' Peter shouted at him, his eyes flashing. 

After a split second of hesitation, Stiles picked himself up and offered a hand to Peter. Peter took it, and they brushed himself off.

''Sorry,'' Stiles muttered around his fangs. 

Peter smirked slightly, striding forward to take to Stiles' side as he continued after Lydia. ''No worries. So what's got our little Banshee running?''

Stiles' gaze flicked to him. ''She told you?'' 

Peter shook his head. ''She told my sister. Talia just asked me my opinion on the situation.'' 

Too enraged to get into pack politics right now, Stiles picked up the pace. ''I don't know what it is. I can't smell anything, and it ripped the shit out of Jackson, whatever it is.'' 

''LYDIA!' He shouted, his senses locking onto her pulse and her hurried breath. She was nearby, she was so close. He pushed himself a little harder, rocketing forward until he could see her. She was on the ground between the trees, on her knees with her head in her hands. 

He hit the ground with a force that ripped his jeans, almost shattering his knee caps. He carefully took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. Peter hissed slightly as Lydia looked up with blank eyes as if her mind was far away.

''Lydia.'' Stiles coaxed her, brushing the back of his hand down her cheek, his wolf frantic to bring her back to them. 

''Lydia, come on.'' He squeezed her hands and gently shook her shoulders, but she didn't respond.

'' _Stiles.''_ Peter sighed his name,  _looking_  at him _._  

Stiles glanced up and knew what he had to do. ''LYDIA!'' He roared to the sky, his wolf surging up to twist his features. All of Beacon Hills' supernaturals probably heard his cry as he  _demanded_ she come back to him, using his true power as alpha for the first time. 

When he felt fur grow across his arms he reigned in the wolf as much as he could and closed his eyes, taking long breaths like he used to when having panic attacks. When he opened his eyes again, Lydia was watching him.

He stared back, not sure what to say. When he reached over to grab her hand, she flinched away, barely enough for him to notice, but it made him pull back like he'd been burned. He forced himself back from her, wide-eyed. He'd opened up a cache of new feelings by  _finally_ using his full power, and the idea that his pack mate didn't want to his touch, that she could be  _scared_ of him, broke his heart.

He couldn't help the tears that sprang to his eyes, his careful control over his emotional instability collapsing under his new connection to his wolf. 

Lydia stared at him for another second, frozen, before she lurched ungracefully forward at him. He caught her instinctively and she buried her face in his shoulder, reassuring his wolf and easing some of his doubt. ''I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,'' She whispered into his shirt and he patted her back, closing his eyes against the red and pushing down the wolf. 

''Lydia, what happened?'' He asked after a long moment, reaching up to wipe his wet eyes. 

She drew back slightly, combing her fingers through her hair. ''I- I'm not sure. Jackson was attacked by  _something_ , I didn't see what it was.''

''It chased you out here? How did you outrun it?'' Peter cut into the conversation, visibly frustrated that she didn't know what it had been.

Lydia frowned, trying to remember, and then paled, just slightly. ''I don't think so- No.''

''Then why are you out here?'' Stiles asked, trying to be more delicate.

Her gaze dropped from his eyes to his collar, and she took a shaking breath. '' _You_  chased me out here, you were... Feral.''

Stiles blinked at her, and then her words hit him like a train. He seemed to shrink back into himself. 

''How is that possible?'' Peter asked, stepping forward. ''Stiles was with Derek the whole time.''

Lydia looked between them, and then let out a long breath. ''You were? Then, it wasn't real. But it  _felt_ real.''

Stiles looked up at Peter, radiating desperation, searching his face for an answer. Peter just shook his head.

''We need to meet with the Banshees,  _now.''_

 

_\----_

 

Stiles and Lydia stood on the porch of a large house in the middle of town, flanked by Derek and Talia. Jackson had wanted to come too, but Talia had made him stay behind because his insides were still currently his outsides. Derek had driven back from the clinic to meet the two of them, and Peter had traded off with Talia to keep an eye on Jackson. Derek had had to hold Stiles' hand the whole way to the Banshees' current residence because he was shaking so much. Losing control of himself was one of his worst fears, and his gaze was fastened on Lydia's clenched hands. 

 _'Ready?'_ Derek asked as Lydia stepped forward to knock on the white door. 

' _Nope.'_ Stiles replied, taking a large breath.

The door opened, and Fallow stepped out, looking over the four of them. ''Come in,'' she stepped back so they could enter the house, ''we've been expecting you.''

The house was pretty plain on the inside, pre-furnished and scattered with whatever things the Banshees had brought with them to Beacon Hills. They followed Fallow through the quiet house, into a large conservatory where two older women sat around a large table. Both of them stood when they entered. One of them was mostly nondescript, but with the signature red hair and aura of knowing something more, but the second woman was quite striking. She was older still, her hair turned white with age and her eyes pale with blindness, but the wolves and Lydia were not fooled into thinking she could not  _see._

The younger woman stepped forward. ''Alpha Hale, Alpha Stilinski, Mr Hale, welcome.'' She offered a hand to Lydia, who eyed it carefully. ''Lydia Martin, it's a pleasure to finally meet you.'' 

Lydia accepted the handshake, glancing at Stiles as she did. 

''I am Reena, and this is my sister, Eimear. We've been wondering when you would visit us.'' 

Reena stepped back, and Eimear came forward, no doubt in her steps. She took Lydia's hand and pulled her forward towards a chair, which she took.

''Please, have a seat.'' Reena gestured at the empty seats around the table, and they all sat, Stiles on Lydia's other side.'' 

''My dear child,'' Eimear returned to her seat, and turned to Lydia, ''I sense the urgency of this visit. Please, tell me what's wrong.''

Lydia took a deep breath. ''Right. We were just visiting some stores, my boyfriend and I that is, when he said he could smell something odd and then he shifted and couldn't control it. I managed to get him into the alley, so he wouldn't be seen, and then he was attacked. I didn't see what did it, but I called Stiles for help before the thing came back. I was pushed forward before I could end the call and when I turned around, I saw- I saw Stiles, standing at the end of the alley, at the dead end of the alley. I was confused about where he'd come from, but then I saw- He wasn't  _right._ He was half shifted and stopped, and there was this look in his eyes, like he was thirsty for blood, out of control. I didn't believe he'd hurt me, but I stepped forward and he snarled and charged at me. I had to run, I had to leave Jackson behind. I ran across the road and out into the forest, and I couldn't understand how I was outrunning him, but then after a few minutes, I was tackled to the ground. I'm not sure what happened after that, but then I heard Stiles roar and all of a sudden he was in front of me, and he looked normal again. Peter said, Peter said he'd been with Derek all morning, and there was no evidence that anything had been after me at all. I don't know... I just  _don't know.''_

Stiles had dropped his head into his hands by the time she'd finished, and Derek's soothing hand on his back wasn't enough to help his rein in his emotions. 

The room was silent for a long, agonising moment before Eimear spoke up. ''Oh dear. Well, there's good news, and there's bad news. I don't believe it was Alpha Stilinski chasing  _you_ if he was with Mr Hale. However, I believe Alpha Stilinski may have been chasing  _someone.''_

Stiles lifted his head to look at her. ''What?'' He croaked, exchanging worried glances with Lydia. 

''Lydia, sweetheart, you're one of us, and we have gifts that can't be explained and aren't rational. Often out youngest sisters first manifest when death is coming, maybe to family, or friends, or even just a neighbour. Usually, this is just an inkling, but if you've  _seen_ this, then it is my belief, that you were experiencing a death, first hand, at the hands of Alpha Stilisnki.''

Stiles' mind jumped back what he had done in the past, and the floodgates of guilt and despair opened, flooding him with the emotions he'd locked away after he'd been turned. 

' _It wasn't your fault.'_ Derek told him in his head, knowing that he would think back to what he had done. ' _You were defending yourself, and_ us, _don't forget that. It lies i_ _n protection, in loving and being loved, and in the call of the pack, always.''_

''You think Stiles is going to  _murder_ someone?'' Lydia asked incredulously. She'd heard about what he'd done in the past, but she, like the others, knew that it had had to be done.

Eimear shook her head. ''So rarely in our world are things so black and white. There are dangerous creatures out there, and to protect our own sometimes we must put those monsters down.'' 

Stiles was consumed by the image of himself, out of control and murderous. His magic prickled unhappily to the surface, sparking on Derek's skin when he took Stiles' hand. He didn't know  _what_ could force him to be like that, but he knew it wasn't good. 

''Wait a minute.'' Stiles didn't bother to push down the growl in his voice. ''I wouldn't  _get_ like that, not unless- Unless someone in the pack was dead. Why wouldn't Lydia have seen  _that?''_

Eimear turned her face towards him. ''Alpha Stilinski, like I have said, our powers can be unpredictable and at times, random. Perhaps this death was more violent than the first you predict, or perhaps, in fact, you were driven to ferality in other ways. It may be that what Lydia has seen is not to come for decades, or that it was two events combined into one vision. I can't tell you anything definite, other than that at some point, you  _will_ kill someone, one way or another.''

Stiles sunk down in his chair, closing his eyes against red.

''Thank you for your time. I think we had best be leaving.'' Talia spoke up for the first time.

''Of course.'' Reena stepped back in. ''Lydia, you are welcome to stay, or return at any time.'' 

Lydia smiled politely, but it didn't reach her eyes and Reena seemed to notice. Fallow appeared and showed them out, saying a farewell that they all tightly responded to. None of them said another word until the door was closed behind them.

Derek moved into Stiles' space, crowding his senses and helping to keep the panic at bay. Stiles caught Lydia's eye over Derek's shoulder, and she looked  _devastated._ He took a deep breath and pushed passed Derek to go to her.  He pulled her into a hug and murmured to her, ''It's okay Lyds. It's all gonna be fine.''

She seemed to know that he was talking to himself as much as he was to her. ''Whatever it is, we'll get through it.'' 

They pulled apart. ''I know,'' Stiles told her, nodding.

''Maybe you just stopped the thing that hurt Jackson?'' She suggested hopefully.

''Yeah, maybe.'' He shrugged, hoping she believed it more than he did.

A shit storm was on the horizon, he'd known it all along, and now they just had to wait and see _what_ was coming. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and feedback are hugely appretiated :)


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It begins.

''Stiles.''

''Stiles!''

''STILES!'' 

Cezary's magic washed over him like a bucket of cold water, dragging him out of the pit of panic he's slipped into. 

Stiles stood still on the spot, staring at Cezary and shivering slightly as the foreign magic ebbed away. ''What?''

Cezary frowned at him, moving across the grass and putting a hand on his shoulder. ''I was saying, I've known Banshees, and their visions and powers are always very...'' He paused for a second, searching for the right word in English, '' _Ambiguous._ And even if it  _was_ completely literal, you wouldn't  _murder_ anyone. I know that, you know that, and everyone else knows that - _It lies i_ _n protection, in loving and being loved, and in the call of the pack.'_ '

Stiles stared at the ground at Cezary's feet, knowing what he was saying was true, but still not really  _believing_ it. 

''Honestly, I'm most concerned about your wolf.''

Stiles gaze flicked up, wracked with a brief panic. Cezary's face was so hard to read that Stiles couldn't tell how serious he was being, and his scent didn't give anything away either. 

''Being an alpha, and as powerful as you are... Come, sit with me.'' He took a step back and gracefully lowered himself to the ground, sitting cross-legged and looking expectantly up at him. 

He hesitated for half a second and then sat down too, hitting the ground much less gracefully that Cezary had.

Cezary smiled at him, the skin around his eyes wrinkling to show his age, for once. ''Braciszeck, you are quite unique, even without your iskra. And even then, without being both a mage  _and_ a werewolf. The bond you told me about, with your Isaac? I've only seen it once before, and certainly not from a human. You've managed to stay placid and resist the instincts of the wilk. Those instincts were most apparent when your mate was in danger. It seems you've formed something of a sub-pack within the Hale pack, which I've never really seen before. I believe a combination of your profound respect for Talia Hale and your control of your wolf through your iskra, are the only reasons you haven't needed to forge a separate pack by now. Of course, it would be possible to stay under Talia indefinitely, but as powerful as you are... I don't know it's a good idea. Also, if your Lydia's vision is to be believed, something is coming. Considering that that boy was attacked today,  _something's_ already in your territory.'' 

Stiles growled slightly before reigning himself in. He leant forwards to rest his elbows on his knees.

''I can feel it, I know you can too. Peace isn't going to last here. Establishing a pack would bring a new strength to you, it would bring support and the real structure your wolf needs. With all of the supernaturals in Beacon Hills, however, it might be difficult. I must say, I've never witnessed pack negotiations before, only helped clean up the aftermath. I am as unsure of how to proceed as you are braciszek, and I suggest talking to Talia as soon as possible. Przepraszam, I didn't mean to bring up such difficult things, I'm sure you already have a lot on your mind.''

''No, it's okay,'' Stiles shook his head, ''I need to hear these things. You're right.''

Cezary nodded as if he knew that he'd say that. ''Now,'' he rubbed his hands together and Stiles almost groaned ''Training.''

Cezary proceeded to kick Stiles' ass for two hours, accenting the experience with comments about how he was improving... Immediately followed by him finding himself on his ass. He  _did_ , however, manage to cast a small ward that Cezary led him through.

''This is the most generic ward there is, it's the first thing we teach to our children.'' He smirked as Stiles huffed, wrinkling his nose.

''It doesn't take much power, it uses these runes to create a protected area. It's all about intention, if you intend for it to protect, then it will, and it will keep all those with ill intentions out.''

Stiles watched carefully, soaking up the information as Cezary sketched odd angular runes into the dirt with his finger. Stiles used the trick Cezary had taught him most recently, summoning a pad of paper and a pen from where it sat on the desk in his room a mile or so away. Cezary looked pleased as he scribbled down the runes onto the paper and surrounded them with messy notes in his scratchy handwriting.

Sure enough, when Stiles drew his own runes into the ground, after pouring his intent into the small square, the air around the runes flashed purple, just for a second, and then felt like a gentle brush of soft fabric on his skin when he waved his hand through them. 

He almost had to crawl home when they finished, exhausted and drained. He let himself into the house through the back door. He smelled Isaac and heard movement upstairs so he called a tired greeting and trudged into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

''Hello, o' Alpha mine.'' Isaac saluted as he jumped the last few stairs and came wandering around the corner, taking in his sweaty, drooped form with a smirk. ''The witch beating your ass?''

Stiles shook his head with mock disapproval. ''That  _witch_ is my uncle, and also,  _yeah_.'' 

Isaac snickered at him, snatching up an apple without asking, making Stiles feel a flash of fondness to Isaac, who was already so much more _himself_ since being integrated into the Hale pack. Then he narrowed his eyes at the Beta. 

''Is that my shirt?'' 

Isaac looked down at the faded graphic tee he was wearing and then back up at Stiles. ''Yep.''

He just shook his head, wondering if he'd ever get used to the weirdness of werewolves.

Doubt flashed across Isaac's face for half a second. ''I just liked the smell. I can take it-''

Stiles cut him off, not having realised it was a _pack_ thing. ''Dude, dude, it's fine. Help yourself to whatever. Just don't stretch out all the shoulders, you broad bastard.''

He hip-checked Isaac as he walked into the living room to collapse face-first onto the couch.

''Thanks. Erica's dragging me out, I'll see you later?''

Stiles didn't have the energy to lift himself up, so he just raised an arm in a quasi-wave.

He could hear Isaac chuckle all the way down the street, and it made him grin into the leather under his squashed face. 

 

\----

 

An hour or so after Isaac left, Derek found Stiles still sprawled on the couch.

''Are you okay?'' Derek asked as he closed the front door behind him and kicked his shoes off in the entryway. He padded across the hall and into the living room, dropping cross-legged on the floor next to Stiles' head.

''Yeah. Exhausted. I didn't think my muscles could hurt this bad anymore, but they do.'' He rolled onto his side so he could look properly at Derek.

Derek just smiled at him and leaned forwards to give his a sideways kiss.

Stiles sat up and slid into Derek's lap so he could kiss him properly. He wrapped his arms around Derek and fell into the kiss, relaxing into Derek as his hands roamed across Stiles' back under his shirt.

It wasn't long before they could feel each other's erections and they broke away, breathless.

''Fancy taking this upstairs?'' Stiles whispered, grazing his lips against Derek's ear, making him shudder.

Derek didn't respond, just somehow stood up with Stiles still wrapped around him.

Stiles laughed, locking his legs around Derek's waist as Derek hugged his torso and headed for the stairs.

It took a little bit of awkward manoeuvring but they managed to get into Stiles' room and close the door, Derek grinning as Stiles laughed the whole way. Derek dropped Stiles on the bed with a growl, ''Stop laughing.'' 

He just made Stiles laugh harder and so he chased him onto the bed, fingers going for the sensitive parts of Stiles' skin, under his arms and at his neck. The tickling dissolving into Derek resolving to kiss every inch of Stiles' pale skin.

''You're beautiful. Gorgeous. You know that, right?'' Derek looked up at Stiles from where he was kissing across his stomach, his eyes ringing their odd, magically-morphed green as he looked up at his mate. 

Stiles gave him a small smile, ''Yeah,'' he agreed, not with arrogance or conceit, but in a way that seemed more like a concession. ''I never... I never thought I was beautiful- Never thought I  _could_ be, until you.'' He looked down at Derek, who was radiating adoration that made his heart skip.

''I love you, Stiles. I love you so much, sometimes it hurts to let you out of my sight.'' 

Stiles didn't really have a response for that, so he reached down and grabbed Derek's hand, pulling him up until he could press a deep kiss to his lips, hoping it would communicate everything he couldn't say. It must have done the job, because Derek wrapped his arms around Stiles, the moment more intimate than just the sex. 

After a minute, their minds were back on the task at hand. ''How do you want it?'' Derek whispered in his ears, sending goosebumps across his exposed skin as Derek's lips brushed the shell of his ear.

Stiles went after Derek's neck, determined to leave bruises that would last long enough to be seen. 

''I want you in me.'' He whispered after a minute, skin flushing adorably. 

Derek made a very inhuman sound, his grip on Stiles tightening as his claws brushed against Stiles' skin. 

''Sorry to ruin the moment,'' Stiles whispered, going even redder, ''but I have to, ah, _y'know_.'' He made a flailing gesture that took Derek a second to understand, his eyes widening with his grin when he did. He kissed the red sitting on Stiles' cheek. 

''Hurry back.'' He murmured, watching keenly as Stiles climbed up, fighting the urge to cover himself as he left the room. 

Derek heard the tap running and couldn't hold back a snicker, imagining Stiles searching the internet for the best way to clean himself. 

When Stiles returned, the red had eased from his skin slightly, and he returned the bed with a little more ease, happily sinking into Derek's hold. 

Derek was gentle with him, murmuring broken sentences of encouragement and advice and praise, checking and double checking every step of the way that Stiles was comfortable and feeling good.

 _''So good.''_ He muttered, both out loud and in Stiles' head, and Stiles slumped forwards, propping himself up against Derek so that he could adjust himself slightly and change the direction of his hips. He sat in Derek's lap, the two of them pressed as close together as possible, drinking in each other's scents. Every whimper or moan from Stiles pushed Derek closer to the edge, and Stiles was clearly enjoying himself, lazily rolling his hips with his fangs gnawing at Derek's shoulder. 

''I-'' Stiles started, but cut himself off, grinding down particularly hard and making Derek hiss.

''Stiles, what?'' He asked after a moment.

Stiles refused to meet his eye, going red again, his scent slightly tinted with embarrassment. ''It's nothing.'' 

''No, Stiles, what is it? Tell me.'' Derek grabbed his face, guiding his gaze up to his own.

Stiles stuttered a little, but he managed to tell Derek what he wanted, more embarrassment pouring into his scent even as he worked Derek's dick.  

''It's, it's  _this.''_ He leaned in at Derek's neck to where the evidence of his mouth was still red and purple. ''I have this urge, to  _bite.''_ He whispered the last word like it was dirty and Derek couldn't help taking a sharp breath at the idea of Stiles  _claiming_ him. 

''Do it.'' He gasped as he seized Stiles' hips. ''Everyone'll know I'm yours.''

Stiles' eyes flashed red at  _that_ , and he held eye contact for another second, searching for any doubt before he dropped his mouth to Derek's neck, kissing and licking at his skin. 

Derek could feel himself getting close so he reached down to pull at Stiles' cock, bringing them both to the edge as Stiles' fangs scraped at his throat. 

' _Derek.'_ Stiles whispered through the bond, making Derek shiver. 

Stiles pushed back as Derek pushed up, bottoming out and sending huge waves of pleasure through them both, both seizing up slightly. Derek gasped again as Stiles' fangs sank into the soft spot where his neck and shoulder connected, not feeling the pain as black veins coursed down Stiles' neck, drawing his pain. Stiles' came across their stomachs and Stiles' magic poured across their skin, pulsing like a heartbeat. 

They collapsed onto the sheets, Stiles' pressing a healing hand across the raw bite in Derek's skin. The bleeding stopped, but Derek knew the bite wouldn't properly heal for a few days. After a minute, Derek found his voice. ''So, which do you prefer?''

Stiles laughed, the sound ringing out into the room. ''I'm  _never_ topping again.'' 

Derek snorted, kissing his nose before snuggling down into the pillows.  _'We'll see about that.'_ He murmured across the bond. 

 _'I suppose we will.'_ Stiles' eyes flashed red one more time before he curled into Derek's chest.

' _We're going to be glued to these sheets if we don't clean up. And we're hosting breakfast, we'll stink.'_

 _'Don't care. Smell like us.'_ Stiles was already too far gone to be persuaded now, and Derek  _was_ very comfortable. He sighed and gave in, putting off the fun clean up job for tomorrow's Derek. 

 

\----

 

Derek woke up to the scent of stale cum and Stiles curled into his chest, the top of his head inches from the bite that Derek could see out of the corner of his eye. The skin was scabbed and already showing signs of new pink skin healing over the wound. He flung his arm out behind him until he found a phone on Stiles' bedside table that turned out to be Stiles'. A glance at the screen told him it was nine in the morning and they'd promised to make breakfast for the betas at ten. He gently shook Stiles' shoulder to wake him.

''C'mon little red, we have to get up and clean this shit up.''

Stiles murmured as he woke up slowly, muttering ''S'not shit, it's cum.'' 

Derek couldn't help snorting, carefully easing them apart and grimacing as their skin peeled apart from where it was glued together. ''I told you we should've cleaned this up last night.'' He scolded as Stiles sat up and grimaced as the cum pulled at his skin when he moved. 

''You were right. Ew, this is  _so_ gross!'' He summoned a cloth from the bathroom and wet it with his magic, scrubbing at his stomach but then cursing and tossing the cloth aside. ''It's no use. I'm getting in the shower, you coming?'' 

Derek nodded as he grimaced at the state of his own sticky torso. 

They hopped in the shower together, only fighting a little bit to stand under the spray. Stiles tried to initiate shower sex, but they both decided to veto the whole thing when Stiles slipped and cracked his shoulder against the tiled wall, an injury that took a full five minutes to knit back together. 

''The whole werewolf thing did absolutely  _nothing_ for my grace!'' Stiles shouted, angry and in pain until Derek rolled his eyes and pressed his hand to Stiles' chest, drawing some of the pain. 

''I'm sure you'll get better?'' Derek told him dubiously.

He just sighed. ''I should just get over it. I don't think I'm ever going to get better.'' 

Derek murmured in acknowledgement, wiping his soapy hands down Stiles' torso.

An hour later, Scott stopped in his tracks just inside the front door of Stiles' house causing Erica to crash into his from behind with a growl.

''What's your problem?''

Scott ignored her aggression and looked through into the kitchen, ''Derek and Stiles.'' he said with wonder.

''What about them?''

Erica, and even Boyd, leaned forward slightly to look over Scott's shoulders.

Stiles stood over the toasted, planning what they were cooking, out-loud. He asked Derek to pass him the butter and Derek tossed it over his left shoulder, while switching from stirring the eggs to pulling plates out of the cabinet with his other hand. Stiles snatched the butter out of the air without looking up and attacked it with the butter knife he was wielding. 

Erica huffed in Scott's ear, ''What's the big deal, McCall?''

Scott shook his head. ''Stiles  _never_ lets anyone cook with him. Once I tried to stir the sauce he was making, and he almost stabbed me with a steak knife. We all learned quickly not to interfere.'' He watched as Derek piled eggs onto the toast Stiles had just buttered, the two of them moving around each other in a perfectly synchronised dance of domesticity. ''Stiles must  _really_ love him.''

Boyd huffed and pushed Scott out of his way. ''It wasn't already obvious?'' He tossed over his shoulder, as he headed to claim the food that Stiles and Derek had made for them. 

''Hey!'' Stiles called in greeting, having heard them come in but been occupied until they entered the kitchen.

They all called various greeting as they took places at the table and accepted plates from Stiles in a natural, if not slightly chaotic, fashion. 

''Where's Isaac?'' Stiles asked, handing a plate to Erica as she crooned at how he'd done the eggs 'just right'.

''We came from home, haven't seen him.'' Boyd spoke u, knife and fork raised. ''He's not the the type to be late.''  

Stiles knew that. ''Cool. Lydia said she would come, I don't know if Jackson will.'' He took his own seat, the usual one, at the head of the table.

''You invited  _Jackson?_ Why?'' Erica booed from the other end of the table ignoring Boyd who elbowed her playfully.

'' _Because_ ,'' Stiles rolled his eyes at her, ''Jackson's  _pack._ Besides, he hasn't been as much of a prick lately, has he?'' He raised his eyebrows at Erica who, after a second, shrugged in concession. 

''Aw Stilinski, that's the sweetest compliment I've ever gotten!'' They all heard Jackson as he yelled, getting out of his car. They all also heard Lydia tell him to stop shouting, which made them all snicker a little. 

The front door was latched so Lydia just pushed it open, stepping into the house and closing it again once Jackson had followed. The betas greeted them as they came into the kitchen and Stiles pointed at the places already set up for them at the table. 

''Did you guys see Isaac on your way in?'' Stiles asked them, glancing at Isaac's empty seat with concern.

 _'I'm sure he's fine.'_ Derek told him in his head as his mouth was currently full.  _'He's careful.'_

Stiles hummed tacitly and turned his attention back to his food, worry still dancing in the back of his mind.

When five and then ten minutes passed, Stiles interrupted the fond teasing being passed across the table and stood up, pulling his phone out of his pocket and ambled a few feet away. 

They all looked up as their quasi-alpha paced the living room. They'd all been able to feel his worry through the pack bonds, though now it was obvious he'd been shielding them from the worst of it. 

_''This is Isaac's phone, leave a message.''_

Stiles growled as Isaac's phone went straight to voicemail. He threw his phone with a lot of force, but onto the couch so it just flopped onto the floor instead of smashing against the wall.

''Maybe he got caught up with Adrian?'' Erica offered from the table, though she looked as worried as Stiles was. 

''He would've texted.'' Boyd shook his head, staring at his plate like it had offended him. 

''Can you feel him?'' Lydia asked, oddly cautiously. 

Stiles growled again, though not  _at_ her. ''He'd not in pain or anything. I'm not very good at- Unless he's close by I can't-'' He cut himself off with a snarl. ''I'm such an  _idiot._ After Jackson was hurt I shouldn't have let  _anyone_ out alone.''

''You can't watch us all the time.'' Scott told him, trying to be comforting but failing to placate Stiles. 

''That's not  _good enough!_ It's my  _job!''_

'' _Stiles,''_ Derek told him gently, ' _you need to calm down. You're scaring them.'_

Stiles' eyes flashed red, just for a moment before he looked at Derek and took a deep breath. ''You're right.'' 

The betas frowned, confused, but realised something must have been said that they couldn't hear. 

Stiles scooped his phone back up from the floor and searched through it, then held it to its ear. 

_''Stiles? Are you okay? Something doesn't feel right with you.''_

If Stiles was surprised that Talia could still get such a read on him through the pack bonds, he didn't show it. ''Isaac. He didn't show and I don't like it.''

Talia must've picked up that the situation was more than just that Isaac was running late.  _''I'll get hold of Adrian. Call Laura or Peter, they're both in town and they might've heard if something's going on.''_

She hung up on him. He doubted that anything occurring would make enough noise to catch Peter or Laura's attention, but he needed to try. 

''Laura? It's Stiles. Have you seen Isaac?''

Laura heard the seriousness in his tone, and didn't say anything sarcastic like she usually would've.  _''I... No, no I haven't. Is everything okay?''_

''I don't know yet. Thanks.'' He pulled his phone down and punched in Peter's number. 

_''Stiles, to what do I owe the pleasure?''_

''Peter, have you seen Isaac?'' 

_''No. Why?''_

''Something's wrong.'' 

He didn't bother explaining further, but hung up and dropped his phone on the couch. 

''Something's seriously wrong.'' His gaze swept their faces. 

Without further warning he shifted, his clothes ripping around him as his body changed. 

''Those were brand new!'' Lydia shrieked as he wriggled out of ripped fabric and charged towards the back door, only missing tearing it off its hinges because Derek had run to it and pulled it open before he could. 

He darted out into the trees, racing towards the Hale house where he could hopefully pick up Isaac's trail. It wasn't long before Derek's black wolf caught up with him.

 _'Others?'_ He asked brusquely. 

 _'Going to my house until we know what's happening.'_ Derek replied, leaping over a log to take up a brisk pace at his side.

It didn't take them long to crash into the clearing where the house was, Talia already waiting for them on the porch. 

''Boys, I spoke to Adrian. He hasn't heard from Isaac today. When did you last see him?'' She directed the question at Stiles. 

Stiles didn't have enough control over his emotions to shift back yet, so he told Derek and Derek shifted back to tell his mother. 

''He said yesterday afternoon at two-ish. He was going to meet Erica.'' 

''Where's Erica now?'' 

''They're all on their way here now.'' 

So they waited on the porch for six excruciating minutes until Erica and Boyd burst out of the trees in their human forms. They jogged up to the others. 

''The others took Jackson's car.'' Erica explained as they approached. She smiled when Stiles curled protectively around her legs and then knocked gently into Boyd's, marking the betas as his wolf strained to find their lost pack mate. 

Cora stuck her head out of the front door as they arrived, looking over the scene with Stiles in his wolf form and Derek completely naked. She stepped out without a word and Stiles headbutted her thigh and then returned to circling Derek's legs.

''Erica, when did you last see Isaac yesterday?'' Talia asked Erica urgently, placing a hand on her shoulder.

''Uh... Yesterday at like five. He told me he was heading back here for the night.'' 

Talia paled slightly, casting a glance at Stiles who bristled as he felt her panic. ''He didn't come here yesterday. I assumed he was staying at Stiles'.'' 

Stiles let out a loud, wounded sound, dancing around Derek's feet in a grotesque display of panicked convulsions. Derek closed his eyes as Stiles made another choked sound. 

''What did he say?'' Talia asked, guessing that Stiles was probably screaming into Derek's head. 

''I can't- It was more like screeching. He can't handle his wolf. He's so  _angry_ that he didn't realise sooner that Isaac's missing. He doesn't know how to manage his instincts, it's like-'' He grimaced as Stiles yelped again, loud enough to make them all wince. ''We need to find Isaac,  _now.''_

Jackson's Porsche pulled up just as Stiles let out a low, mournful howl that the others had to fight to resist joining. Scott tumbled out of the car as Lydia and Jackson worriedly hurried up to the others. 

''What is  _wrong_ with him?'' Jackson asked, stumbling in surprise as Stiles crashed into his legs and then approached Lydia more carefully, rubbing his form against her legs and then dashing over to smash into Scott, sending him to the ground.

''We've just found out that Isaac has been missing for about eighteen hours.'' Talia informed them. 

''Fuck.'' Lydia announced, watching Scott climb to his feet as Stiles jerked around, visibly distressed, his magic sparking every couple of seconds now. 

''What do we do?'' Erica asked, watching Stiles with a frown. 

''We need to try and pick up Isaac's trail. Stiles?'' Talia approached him and he stilled, just a little. ''Do you think you could pick up Isaac's trail if we go back to where Erica last saw him?'' Stiles bowed his head in a nod, his tail sunk low between his legs. 

''Okay.'' She turned to go back into the house to find her keys.

 _'Stiles?''_ Derek crouched in front of him.  _'Stiles, you need to shift back.'_

_'Can't.'_

Derek only just managed to make out the word over all of the sound crashing through their bond.  

_''That's bullshit. You're stronger than that.'_

Stiles' wolf didn't appreciate the challenge, and his formed lowered slightly as he tried to force the shift. When there was a loud crack of bone and Stiles slumped to the ground, Derek reached out to him in panic. ''Stop, stop, oh my god.'' 

The betas all surrounded them in worry as Stiles' whined, something obviously broken. 

Derek waved his hands about uselessly, with no idea how to help his mate. ''Just, just don't do that again. We'll figure it out, just be careful. I should've listen to you.'' 

 _''Witch.''_ Stiles managed to gripe through the bond as he shifted into Derek's grip, indicating for him to drain the pain. Derek frowned as his wrists turned black. 

''Witch? What do you mean?'' 

''His uncle.'' Lydia lit up like a light bulb after a moment. ''Cezary's a witch, right?''

Derek shook his head in confusion. ''I didn't- I suppose. I didn't think they were  _witches.''_

''The wolf doesn't know the difference.'' Talia had reappeared in the doorway, with Rowan silent behind her, and came to them, stepping into the circle as the betas parted. ''He can't shift back.'' She wasn't asking, watching as Derek drained Stiles' pain. ''It shouldn't take long to heal. He's right, I'll call his uncle.'' 

She stood and made the call as Derek brushed his hands down Stiles' fur.  _''Is it healing?''_

He didn't get a coherent response so he rested his head on top of Stiles', his own wolf distressed that he didn't know how to help his mate. 

''Cezary's on his way.'' Talia crouched next to Derek, putting a hand on his shoulder for comfort. 

When Cezary arrived not five minutes later, his nondescript car rolling up the driveway and parking next to the Porshe, Talia marched over to him, eyebrows raised. ''That was very quick.''

Cezary grimaced, eyes fixed on the huddle of werewolves on the porch. ''This situation is above traffic laws.'' He hastened up to the porch, stepping past the swathes of wolves to kneel by his nephew at the centre. 

Derek growled slightly when the non-pack member approached his mate, but Cezary met his eyes and then dropped his gaze, showing submission that appeased Derek's wolf. With the go-ahead from Derek he placed his palm on Stiles' side, fingers curling into his fur. His eyes sparked with magic and he looked down at Stiles' face. 

''Braciszek, why do you do this to yourself? We'll find your Isaac, there's no need to torture yourself.''

''Is he okay?'' Derek asked, staring at Cezary imploringly. 

Cezary sighed. ''Wilk are idiots. Even a Brzezicki wolf can be an idiot. He could heal that bone in seconds but... Kurwa! He does not.'' 

''He's punishing himself. Not consciously,'' Derek murmured, still brushing his hands through Stiles' fur. 

''Can you pick him up? Bring him inside.'' Cezary straightened and stepped back to give Derek the room to scoop Stiles into his arms. The betas parted again as they passed, Derek carefully pulling Stiles' long form through the front door careful not to hit Stiles' face or legs on the door frame. Derek placed Stiles down on the couch, sitting on the floor so that his face was closer to Stiles'. 

A word from Talia sent the betas filing into the dining room, closing the door behind them, as she took a perch on the opposite couch, watching with a strained expression. After a moment, she stood and shook her limbs as if she couldn't stand to stay still. ''I'm going to find Isaac's trail. I'll find Peter, his nose is the best of all of ours.'' Without anything else to say, she brushed her fingers carefully over Stiles' neck before leaving the house, casting several glances over her shoulder as she went. 

Derek whined a little, at a complete loss as he continued to card his fingers through Stiles' fur. 

Cezary stood somewhere behind him. ''Your wolf does not like that he cares so for another.'' He wasn't asking. His gaze also burned into the back of Derek's head, and Derek had to suppress the urge to cover the bite on his neck with his hand.

He twisted his neck slightly, enough to see Cezary in his periphery before turning back to Stiles, not answering, which was all the answer Cezary needed. 

''My nephew feels so strongly. Even as a human he was inextricably bound to those he loved.'' He glanced at the door behind which Stiles' friends were huddled. ''I've known many wolves, many alphas. An alpha's bond with their betas is like nothing I've ever seen, and I've seen unfathomable things. If one of your mother's betas were to go missing, she would of course be distraught, but she would be level headed, calm and and collected for her pack. Stiles is not so disciplined. If your mother is a steady flame, Stiles is a firework; burning but always building to an explosion.''

Derek didn't look away from Stiles' face. He knew without checking that the betas in the other room would be listening to every word, and Jackson would be relaying what he heard to Lydia in hushed tones.

''The magic makes him uncontrollably powerful, and the wolf magnified it. He's being pulled in so many directions. With time he will settle, but for now he is unstable. Most alphas have years of training even before they are given their powers, but Stiles became a mage, a wolf and an alpha all at one. If he were not so strong, he might not have survived it, even if he had survived the bite. That's why he's been so disconnected from himself, only reconnecting when he was forced to. His mind has been trying to protect him from the full brunt of his instincts and power.''

Stiles struggled again under Derek's hands, writhing as his instincts tore at him.

''He hasn't had time to learn, so his body doesn't know how to handle what he's feeling. I still believe there's a part of him that hasn't given into the wolf.'' He knelt next to Derek, placing a hand in Stiles' fur. The scent of magic filled the air, slightly different from Stiles' scent, surrounding the three of them as Cezary's eyes' sparked, the runes and tattoos peeking out from under his shirt sleeve, turning and twisting around his wrist. 

Stiles' movements stopped and there was an ease on the noise pouring through the bond into Derek's head. He even felt Stiles' own magic settle, the thrumming that had Derek on edge beginning to slow. 

''Before he was turned he would have buried nations for those he loved.'' Cezary sat back on his heels, running a hand through his hair, making it stand on end much like a quirk of Stiles'. ''Now, that has intensified tenfold. It's why he is unable to shift back right now. His human body just cannot comprehend the instincts of the wolf, not when he is so volatile and uncontrolled. His wolf has taken over, like a, ah, defence mechanism, to protect himself. Until we get his Isaac back, I'm afraid he may be ruled by the wolf.'' 

He paused.

''And if anyone stands between he and his beta, or he gets his hands on those responsible...''

He grimaced.

''Well the wolf sees only black and white.'' 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and feedback are hugely appreciated.
> 
> Wilk - Wolf  
> Iskra - Spark  
> Głupek - fool


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They search.

''He's hungry,'' Derek informed them when Stiles sighed dramatically and flopped across Lydia's lap.

Lydia huffed primly at him but scratched his ears nonetheless. ''You're going to get fur on my clothes.'' She said tartly, still petting him and making no move to push him away.

He'd briefly stopped freaking out but was still stuck in his wolf form.

''Should we slaughter a cow or something?'' Erica suggested unhelpfully as she picked at her nails, legs across Cora's lap.

''He's not an  _animal.''_ Lydia scoffed, scratching her way under his chin and watching as he blinked, slowly and lazily. 

The wolves in the room frowned as if they wanted to disagree, but none of them dared to say anything.

''Just make him a sandwich or six,'' Lydia told the room, pulling a face as Stiles licked her hand.

''Make Isaac do it.'' Erica tossed out without thinking. She paled as she realised her mistake, everyone glaring at her. ''Shit.'' Her cheeks reddened and they all smelled the wave of sadness and anger from her.

Stiles whined, making Lydia wrap her arms around his large form. 

She was almost more worried about Stiles than she was about Isaac. She'd had long conversations with Talia and poured over the books in the Hale library for hours and hours, drinking in information to satiate her thirst for it, not unlike Stiles'. She knew plenty about alphas and betas, their bonds and behaviours. Werewolves were interesting, and often very stupid, and she'd made it her mission to learn all she could. All that knowledge just made her heart hurt now. None of them could possibly know how much Stiles was hurting. 

When none of them made a move, Boyd sighed and stood up, heading through to the kitchen without a word.

When Jackson whined quietly in the corner, Lydia looked up at Derek. ''We need him back.'' She told Derek, inspecting his face as he watched Stiles. '' _They_ need him back.'' She nodded to Jackson and Erica, and while Derek didn't look at her, he still understood her.

''I know.'' He said quietly. ''I know. I need him too. but you didn't hear what Cezary said. He _can't.''_

Lydia's eyes sparked with anger and Stiles whimpered in her lap. ''That's bullshit! Stiles is our alpha,  _we need him!''_ She growled out the last part like a wolf and Derek finally looked at her.

Stiles huffed and Derek glanced at him. 

''What did he say?'' Lydia asked, making Derek raise an eyebrow.

''He said... I need to call Cezary.'' He pulled Stiles' phone out of his pocket and turned away. 

Lydia looked back down at Stiles, who was avoiding her eye. When she huffed, a small, unnatural breeze brushed against her cheek and pulled her hair behind her ear. She scratched him again. ''I'm sorry. We're just all worried.'' She looked at Jackson when she said it, and Stiles followed her gaze.

Jackson was sat in the corner staring blankly at his phone looking pretty miserable. He hadn't been quite right since he'd been attacked.

Stiles slipped out of Lydia's lap and padded across to Jackson who looked up from his phone when Stiles stopped right in from on him. Jackson gave his head a little scratch before moving his arms, huffing, but not unpleased as Stiles sprawled across his lap.  

''He's coming,'' Derek told them all.

 _''You were listening to what he said.''_ Derek told Stiles directly, '' _You know there'll be consequences to forcing the shift.''_  

Stiles looked over at him and then put his head down on Jackson's leg.  _'Pack.'_  

Derek sighed, closing his eyes and then dropping into a chair looking exhausted. Stiles hadn't slept, so neither had he.  _''I know, little red, I know.''_ Derek hadn't expected anything different. Stiles would do anything for his pack, even if it meant tearing himself apart. 

Boyd reappeared with a plate in his hands and he crossed the room, dropping it near Stiles' head and then returning to the couch where Erica sat, her mouth slightly downturned as she watched Stiles. 

Stiles didn't bother to stand, just shuffled forward slightly awkwardly and tried to manoeuvre the sandwich into his much. When he dropped a slice of chicken on Jackson's pants by accident, Jackson growled quietly and picked up the plate, shredding the food and tossing small pieces into the air from which Stiles caught them.

Cezary showed up at the door just minutes later. He'd left the house not an hour previously, with a vague excuse about looking into what had attacked Jackson. The betas and Stiles were left to loiter in the house, waiting for Talia or Peter to return and tell them what to do.  

Cezary greeted Derek and stepped into the room, eyes scanning across all of the werewolves and his form tensing slightly. He went to Stiles, and Jackson slipped away, over to the couch where Lydia was watching carefully. 

''You're sure about this, braciszek?''

''He is,'' Derek told Cezary, who looked over his shoulder with a frown.

''He... Told you?''

It was then that Stiles realised he'd never had _that_ conversation with Cezary.

''He'll explain it when he's on two legs.'' Derek relayed, and Cezary turned back to Stiles.

''You continue to be a surprise, Stiles. Can you stand?''

Stiles easily pulled himself up, bumping his head into Cezary's shoulder and then watching his uncle expectantly.

Cezary pulled a pad of paper out of nowhere and a pen followed. He scribbled on the paper, sketching two complicated runes that Stiles vaguely recognised. ''This is a Lilall rune, and this is a Vinum rune, you know of these?'' 

Stiles dipped his head in a nod, and Cezary dropped the pad with a loud smack. 

''Right. I'll have to force you back and then draw these runes to keep you there.'' He rubbed his hands and without any further warning, the sweet scent of magic exploded through the room, so strong that even Lydia could smell it. 

Derek grabbed his own head as Stiles shouted through the bond, and the others all had to hold themselves back as Stiles made a horrifying shrieking sound. Loud snaps sounded and they all watched, horrified, as Stiles' form became warped and distorted, not unlike his first ever shift. His fur crawled slowly back into his follicles and his bones snapped into shape as Cezary forced the shift in a way it wasn't supposed to go. 

When it was finally over and Stiles lay human on the floor, gasping ragged breaths and shuddering as his body tried to revert back to its wolf form, Cezary pulled a knife out of thin air, making a small cut on the inside of his wrist and wiping the blood onto his thumb. He seized Stiles' wrist and started drawing on his forearm with his own blood. 

Cezary repeated the runes on the bare patch of skin on his own wrist. ''You know what this will do?'' He asked before activating the runes.

'' _Do it!''_ Stiles snarled, his eyes red and the power rolling off of him enough to make the betas recoil slightly. 

Cezary slammed his hand down on the runes on Stiles' arm, a bright light slipping out from where his palm touched the runes. When he finally withdrew his hand both he and Stiles slumped to the floor, drawing in long, desperate breaths. 

Derek approached with a blanket clutched in his hands, wrapping it around Stiles' naked and still shaking form. As he tucked the corners tightly around Stiles, he noticed that the runes that had started as crude drawings in blood now looked like raw, red burns on Stiles' skin.

''What has this done to him?'' Derek asked, taking a closer look as Stiles leant into him. 

Cezary sat up, watching as the cut on his wrist healed and then glancing around the room before replying. ''Runes are... Not meant to be like that. They're meant to be carefully tattooed over many hours, but this is not a normal situation. Blood magic is a  _bitch._ '' He rolled his head, wincing and rubbing his forehead. The magic had clearly affected him too. ''Those burns will heal when the runes stop working in a few hours, but they'll probably scar.'' 

Everyone in the room beside Stiles looked vaguely horrified. Werewolves weren't supposed to scar. 

''Vinum runes are linking runes, it means I can, for a few hours, monitor his state to make sure nothing goes wrong. Lilall runes are... Binding. For about a day his magic and some of the wolf is bound back. It's not supposed to be, but it's an emergency.'' 

Derek gazed down at the burns on Stiles' arm, frowning as he took in the fact that they'd never be completely gone. 

''We need to find that boy,  _soon,_ '' Cezary said, eyeing Stiles somewhat warily. 'Y'know braciszek, you should consider making these runes permanent.''

Derek barely had time to wrap his arms around Stiles as he lurched forward, snarling at Cezary with his beta shift warping his face. The runes of his arm started to flare up and another wave of sweetness escaped into the room.

Cezary raised his hands and hurried to clarify. ''I did not mean to suggest permanently binding your power. An integrated Lilall rune could mean a greater control over your abilities, you _know_ this. With it, you could incorporate Vinum runes that span your pack.'' 

Stiles' shift melted away and he cocked his head as if considering the idea. It was horribly obvious though that the wolf was still at the surface. Stiles wasn't completely Stiles right now, and none of them knew how long he would stay this way. 

When Lydia made a small, upset sound, all eyes were directed at her. Jackson had his arms around her, but she didn't seem to be susceptible to being comforted right now. Her eyes were wide and a little wet. ''I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I said we needed him- I didn't expect  _this!''_  

When Stiles didn't look at her she climbed out of her seat and strode to the doorway, but halted mid-step when Cezary made a harsh sound, still gripping his head. She turned her gaze around to him, almost fearful as if she knew what was coming.

''Remember, _girl_ , that Stiles is not only a wolf- _It lies i_ _n protection, in loving and being loved, and in the call of the pack_. He would kill himself for your pack, so watch what you ask of him.'' He snarled the words with as much ferocity as a feral wolf and they all watched Lydia's face pale. 

Jackson leant forward, eyes glowing and ready to challenge Cezary, though fear and instinct _just_ held him back.

Stiles, however, was not so fearful. He was all wolf, and Cezary was being very aggressive to a member of his pack. Only Derek's grip on his shoulders kept him from tearing Cezary's face off, but the sweet smell of magic exploded into the air again, somewhat tainted by the scent of rage.  _''Don't talk to her like that!''_ His face morphed into his beta shift one again and the binding rune on his arm started to burn, though he ignored it. 

The wolves whined at the scent of burning flesh and Derek kept his grounding grip on Stiles' shoulders as Cezary's bravado faltered. 

When Cezary lowered to his head and exposed his neck to Stiles is a blatant show of submission, Stiles calmed enough for his shift to once again melt away. He didn't miss the look that Cezary shot Lydia before she bolted through as if to say  _I told you so._

When someone's phone buzzed, it took a minute for anyone to move past what had just happened and start functioning normally again.

''That's mine.'' Stiles rolled his head back to look at Derek who was rummaging in his pockets for Stiles' phone. When he pulled it out, triumphant, Stiles plucked it out of his hand immediately.

 

**> From Unknown Number**

_**We have the boy** _

 

Everyone in the room gravitated towards Stiles as his heart leapt. Derek leant over his shoulder to see the text and then stiffened, his hands coming down on Stiles' shoulders like restraints because he _knew_ his mate. 

'' _This again!''_ Stiles snarled and would have launched the phone across the room if he weren't waiting for more information.

''Stiles, after the last time-'' Derek tried to pluck the phone out of Stiles' hand, but Stiles wouldn't let him, flinching forward and holding it out of Derek's reach.

''It doesn't matter. I'm stronger this time.'' 

Derek growled under his breath, and then said, ''That's not the point!'' 

They both knew it, as did all of the others. It didn't matter, Stiles would still throw himself in harm's way if it meant keeping his pack safe. 

Th night of Stiles' turning, a situation almost identical to the current had come to a climax. Peter had been taken in the chaos of Hunters causing trouble and Stiles had thrown himself, knowingly and headfirst, into the Hunter trap to keep Peter alive. The night hadn't exactly gone to plan when Gerard and his hunters had taken Stiles captive quite easily and forced the rogue alpha to turn him before the rest of the pack could come and back him up. Peter had been fine, as was Stiles' goal, but Stiles had fallen victim to Gerard's experiment to try and make Stiles the first witch-wolf. Stiles had murdered the rogue alpha and the Hale pack had taken down the hunters, but Gerard had still won.

It was happening again, and it would play out again. Stiles would offer himself in exchange for Isaac and the Hunters would try to kill them all anyway. 

 

**> From Unknown Number**

_**If you want him alive, come to the place where witches run** _

 

Stiles stared at the message, his hands shaking. He closed his eyes for a long minute, taking deep, steadying breaths. He then stood up in a blur, disappearing from the room before any of them could react. Derek shot to his feet, thundering across floorboards as he followed his bolting mate. The betas watched bewildered, and Cezary disappeared into the shadows before any of them could say anything. 

''Stiles!'' Derek followed Stiles as he streaked through the trees, not bothering with a car because he was worried about losing control and ripping the interior to pieces. 

Of course, Derek knew exactly where Stiles was headed: to where Talia and Peter had gone to try and pick up Isaac's trail. Derek just worried that Stiles was too out of control to care about people seeing him careering supernaturally fast down main roads. Luckily Stiles was smart enough to stick to the trees, only crossing roads at points without cars until he got closer to the middle of town. 

Derek managed to catch up just before they got to where Peter and Talia had been heading. Stiles grinned over at him as they flew through the woods, the thrill of running with his mate not quite drowned out by the panic and anger. 

When they arrived at the coffee shop they'd discussed, Stiles slowed to a canter, appearing out of the trees and smoothing his windswept hair. They spotted the Camaro almost immediately and trotted over to it, picking up Talia and Peter's scent trail that lead east along the street into the forest. Stiles couldn't smell Isaac, but he hoped that Talia and Peter had been able to, as he quickly walked along the sidewalk, dodging the few pedestrians. 

They curved around, back into the trees, picking up the pace as they disappeared out of sight. 

They'd gone almost a mile across the rough terrain before the sound of fast heartbeats hit them, two familiar, one not. Talia and Peter's backs came into view, along with the pacing form of a boy around Stiles' age. 

The small party heard them coming and Talia turned to greet them, looking incredibly grim. 

Stiles' gaze wasn't for her though. Derek jogged forward to meet his mother but Stiles bypassed her completely, trudging forward to stop, should-to-shoulder with Peter, gazing up. 

Peter glanced at him, eyes a little glazed, and then bumped their shoulders together. 

Now that Stiles was closer he smelled  _wolf_ on the pretty boy that was pacing nearby, as well as  _pain_ and  _anger_ and  _misery._ The boy didn't look up as Stiles and Derek arrived, just continued pacing around, tossing his limbs and glancing up now again only to wince and periodically gag as if he'd be sick- Though Stiles suspected he might already have been.

The tall tree in front of Stiles and Peter was currently the resting place of a dead werewolf, strung up against the wood. His feet hung at least a foot off of the ground and he was kept in place by the monstrous broadsword stuck in the tree and through his ribs. Blood had soaked through the expanse of his shirt and had spilt out of his mouth, staining his lips, chin, neck and torso a shocking crimson. His clothes were torn and there was some kind of rope burn around his wrists. By far the most horrible and frightful part of the picture was that in two almost perfectly vertical wounds, the boy's eyes had been blinded, most likely before he had died. 

Talia was murmuring to Derek behind them and Peter had placed a comforting hand on Stiles' shoulder, but his eyes were stuck on the boy pinned to the tree, who'd been left as some kind of warning from whoever had taken Isaac, or a threat, or a sign of victory on their part. It made Stiles want to burn the whole fucking town down, and a low,  _angry_ grumbling started from in his chest.

The sound made the other werewolf finally stop his pacing and turn to Stiles, cocking his head with a slightly vacant expression on his face. ''You're the Red Wolf?'' There was an anger in his voice that almost made Stiles fall back a step. 

When Stiles didn't respond, confused by the question, Peter replied for him. 

''He is.'' 

The werewolf nodded. ''Make them fucking  _pay.''_ There was a dry, scraping rage in him that was all too familiar to Stiles.

Stiles stared at him for a moment, bewildered. He didn't know what the Red Wolf was, or who the two other wolves were. But he knew who 'them' was referring to. At first, he didn't know how to respond to that, but then, ''I do not know your rage, but I will gladly enact it.'' 

The werewolf nodded and then went to the dead wolf Stiles was assuming was either his mate or his brother, though similarity was difficult to recognise when the dead wolf had been so disfigured. 

The werewolf went up to his dead counterpart and stood close to him, not close enough to touch but close enough to drink in his scent- Though by now it had soured some. 

Stiles made a decision and carefully approached, raising his hands when the werewolf growled at him. He stood slightly to the side, almost as close. ''Mate?'' He asked, looked up again at the mutilated wolf and feeling sick himself when relief came that the victim hadn't been Isaac. 

''Yes.'' The werewolf grumbled, closing his eyes. 

''We should take him down,'' Stiles whispered, still holding his hands and trying not to appear threatening.

The werewolf growled at him, moving to stand between Stiles and the dead wolf. 

Derek in turn growled and stepped forward, but Stiles shook his head at his mate and carefully watched the wolf in front of him. 

''I do not wish to harm or take him away, only to bring him to you.'' He knew he was speaking to wolf, not man. 

The werewolf eyed him, iris' briefly flaring yellow. 

Stiles' own eyes flared red in response and then the werewolf nodded, taking a step back. 

Stiles also took a step back, raising his hands as the scent of magic filled the air and a familiar prickle flooded his skin, irritating the runes on his arm slightly. He carefully pulled the sword out of the wood and tossed it off into the trees, wrapping his magic around the dead werewolf and lowering him to the ground at the feet of his mate. There was nothing he could do for the mangled flesh and he bit his wobbling lip, watching as the wolf sank to his knees and ran his fingers over his mate's wounds. 

Derek came up behind Stiles and took his hand, and Stiles leant on him heavily, forcing himself not to image tho two of them in such a position. 

 _'Who are they?'_ Stiles asked Derek through their bond. 

_'Darrin Prescott and Nathan Brooke. Darrin was an alpha based up near Sacramento. They'd been staying just outside of town.'_

The dead wolf, Darrin, couldn't have been any older than Derek, and the werewolf Nathan looked to be around Stiles' age. ' _This could have been us, so easily.'_ He looked up at Derek and by the scowl on Derek's face guessed that Derek had been thinking the same thing. 

 _'They took down an alpha without any trouble.'_ Stiles whispered to Derek, aghast. ' _We've called all these wolves and all these supernaturals to Beacon Hills, and whoever's doing this will kill them without any trouble. We've brought our allied to be slaughtered for us.'_

Derek wouldn't look at him, showing he agreed with Stiles. 

_'They had a pack, right? Their pack's alpha-less now. What will they do?'_

Derek shook his head. 

' _Will he be okay?'_ Stiles stared down at Nathan Brooke, who had his mate's body cradled in his lap.

Derek shook his head again and Stiles should have known. 

 _'He's so_ young _. His whole life... Der', please don't die.'_

Derek pulled Stiles into his chest, not finding any words to reply. 

 _'He's going to have to spend his whole life alone.'_ Stiles whispered into Derek's head. 

_'No, he won't. Wolves don't last long when they've lost their mates. Sometimes we kill ourselves, sometimes we just... Fade away.'_

Stiles wanted to be more upset, but if anything he was slightly relieved. At least Nathan wouldn't have to suffer forever. Even just imagining the pain of losing Derek made Stiles' throat close up, and he understood why it was wolves didn't live without mates. 

When Derek released Stiles, Stiles made eye contact with Talia. She was watching them with an immense sadness as Peter watched Nathan press his forehead against his mate's. 

Stiles took a gasping breath and then set off over to Talia. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and thrust it at her so she could see the texts he'd received. ''We've been called to war.'' He told her.

She didn't disagree, reading the texts several times and then handing Stiles' phone off to Peter who'd finally turned to them at Stiles' statement. Stiles could see his mind spinning as he tried to figure out the riddle they'd been given. 

''War?'' Nathan had looked up from his mate and sought out Stiles' eyes. 

''Whoever killed Darrin, who took my beta, they've told us where they are.''

Nathan's eyes seemed to gain a new light, the potential for revenge creeping closer. ''A trap?'' He asked.

''Definitely.'' 

''Excellent.'' Nathan grinned, and it was wicked and near feral, backed by furious eyes. ''Sign me up.'' 

 

\----

 

''The place where witches run.'' Peter spun around theatrically on the chair, wildly gesturing around at the books lining the walls of the study. ''The Fox massacre.'' 

Talia's eyes widened in understand but Stiles and Derek just stared at him. 

''In 1978, Hunter presence across California and most of the south-west-'' 

Stiles could tell it was going to be a long story, so he growled impatiently. ''The  _short_ version.''

Peter rolled his eyes. ''Forty-odd years ago, a group of hunters with their very own pet witches enslaved witches across the south and brought them to Beacon Hills. One of the witches managed to take down the restrain-spell, but none of them got any further than the edge of town before they were all murdered. All ninety of them.''

Stiles paled and Derek cursed, moving a little closer to Stiles. 

'' _Ninety?_ '' Stiles almost cried, ''How many hunters were there?'' 

''About the same,'' Peter replied, ''But the witches were starved and exhausted.''

''That must be it then.'' Stiles chewed on his thumbnail, ''They're trying to scare us.'' 

''We should call for backup,'' Peter suggested to Talia, putting the books in his lap back onto the desk.

Talia nodded, but Stiles didn't agree and instead barked angrily. ''You want to ask  _more_ people to die for us?'' 

''Stiles,'' Derek placed a hand on Stiles' shoulder. Stiles didn't shrug it off but he ignored Derek's attempt to placate him. 

''These people knew what they were in for when they came to our side,'' Talia told him sternly, though they all knew if Stiles insisted she most likely wouldn't be able to argue.

''So that's it?'' Stiles' eyes flashed red and Derek gripped the fabric of his shirtsleeve. ''These people owed you a favour so you're forcing them to lay down their lives?''

''What do you want me to do?!'' Talia snarled at him, her own eyes lighting. ''This isn't like before. We have  _no_ idea what we're dealing with and if we rush in this time we'll get ourselves  _all_ killed!'' 

Stiles bared his teeth at the thinly veiled insult, but the human half of him could see the reason in her words. 

''So, what do we do?'' 

''We rally the forces.''

 

\----

 

Derek could see that Stiles was barely holding it together. 

It had been immediately agreed that bringing all one hundred and forty-nine, of the non-pack supernaturals in Beacon Hills (not including Cezary) to the Hale house and surrounding woods at once was a really,  _really_ bad idea. Instead, each pack or clan or coven had sent their alpha or leader as representatives. That meant that there was now eleven supernaturals in the Hale house and the whole pack was on edge at having so many strangers in their home.

Stiles, in particular, was struggling, unused to his own powerful instincts and still barely being controlled by Cezary's magic. When the eleven representatives had arrived one by one and been introduced to Stiles, Derek, Talia and Rowan (who'd mysteriously reappeared again), Laura, and Peter, Stiles became tenser and tenser. Even Derek's touch wasn't helping him anymore.

Talia knew all eleven and was on first name basis with each, greeting them and being generally friendly and alpha-ly. Stiles, on the other hand, had become closed off and greeted each of the eleven with forced smiles and a distrust that wouldn't do well for future relations if he didn't turn things around. Derek was worried, having some knowledge of how inter-pack and inter-species relations worked, that Stiles wasn't taking to the whole thing very well. Much of what it meant to be an alpha involved business  _outside_ of the pack, rather than just what happened within it. Though when Derek made eye contact with his mom and she seemed to understand his worry, she smiled reassuringly. Derek nodded and with their unspoken communication understood what she way trying to say, that the situation wasn't exactly optimal for introducing Stiles to that part of his new life and they should save their worries for a less threatening time. 

Things started to go particularly downhill when the third of the eleven arrived at the house. The first two had been Nathan Brooke, representing the Prescott pack on behalf of his dead mate, and Fallon who'd been sent on behalf of the matriarch of the group of Banshees. The third had been the herald of a group of demi-fae based out far south. Wyn was the first supernatural that Stiles had met that didn't look completely human. It was quite subtle, in the grace of his movements and the partially hidden points of his ears, as well as the music of his voice and, when looking very closely, the pupils that pulled just slightly towards being slitted. His clothes were quite normal, albeit perhaps meant for slightly warmer weather, and he was barefoot.

It occurred to Derek, too late, that they hadn't thought to _warn_ Stiles. While none of the Hales' allies was human, demi-fae were _particularly_ non-human in their mannerisms and their society. 

This became quite obvious to Stiles when the startlingly tall, redheaded man planted a kiss on Talia's lips to greet her, then the same to greet Laura, and then descended on Stiles the second he spotted him, wrapping him in a hug and kissing both of his cheeks. Stiles stared up at him, not really knowing to react. His head was full of the scent of the forest and Derek's barely controlled jealousy.

''Ah, red wolf! Aren't you quite beautiful! As are all of your friends!''

There was an enthusiasm to Wyn's voice that Stiles wasn't really sure how to respond to, though his wolf wasn't happy and was growling territoriality. Stiles hoped Wyn didn't descend onto Derek because he was _sure_ that if this man touched Derek, he wouldn't be able to control himself.

''Red wolf? I've been called this before but I don' know what it means.'' Stiles told him, taking a step back so his personal space would be free once again.  

Wyn let out a loud laugh that was almost obscene. ''Oh little wolf, they say you are wrapped in red flames, the _red wolf_. Your reputation precedes you.''

Stiles gritted his teeth, wondering just how his  _reputation_ could be known by a fairy living in the woods a hundred miles away. Before he could say anything else, Wyn turned to the room and spotted Nathan and Fallow who were stood against the furthest wall in opposite corners. He went for Fallon first, though it seemed she'd known what was coming because she grinned when he hoisted her up and spun her around. 

''Fallon, my dear! It's been  _far_ too long!'' 

Fallon patted his arm as he lowered her back down. ''I've told you, Wyn, we're not made for the woods.'' 

Everyone stiffened slightly in anticipation as Wyn headed for Nathan, who was eyeing him suspiciously. Thankfully Wyn didn't try to hug the volatile wolf, but grabbed his hand without warning and shook it vigorously, though apparently not disheartened when Nathan ripped his hand away with a growl. Wyn sobered a little, ''I heard about the horrible death of your mate, and I am very sorry. I had heard he was a good alpha, young but strong. My heart goes to the Prescott pack.'' 

There were winces all around at the lack of tact, but Nathan somehow managed to hold it together. He didn't drop the scowl but he nodded and sunk even further back into the corner. 

''PETER!'' 

Stiles jumped when Wyn roared Peter's name, having apparently only just noticed him. The odd man stalked over and gave Peter a hug that involved much laughter and mutual back-slapping. 

''My old friend, it's good to see you again. I only wish it could be under different circumstances.'' Peter looked up at Wyn, who was no less jovial. 

''I wish so too, Peter. I hear you've had a cub, is that true?!'' Much of the tension was eased at the mention of the baby and Peter was reduced to a soppy mess, talking about his perfect little son. 

The catching-up was interrupted by a drawn-out knocking at the front door. Talia went to the door and two women stepped into the house, staying as far apart as possible. The woman on the left, around Laura's age, was tall and robust, with short brown hair and large green eyes, as well as being very obviously a wolf.

The woman on the right, however, was clearly of very different kin. She was short, less that five foot, and had dark skin with an odd blue undertone to it. Her iris' and pupils were completely white, though by the way she looked at all of them Stiles guessed she was not in fact blind. Her hair was cropped close to her scalp and she wore baggy clothes that hid much of her body. It wasn't obvious what she was, but she smelled like the air after a storm and there was an odd double-beat to her heart that threw Stiles off completely. She was also making the new werewolf obviously angry and uneasy. 

''I didn't know  _they_ would be in our midst, Talia.'' The new wolf spat, casting a venomous gaze at the other woman who in turn turned up her nose. ''I will tolerate them only for your sake.'' She took a couple of extra steps away from the other woman. 

''Stiles,'' Talia gestured him over to her and he complied begrudgingly. ''Stiles, this is Jaque Scalder, alpha of the Rukenburg pack.'' She motioned to the werewolf.

Jaque's manner softened a little as she was introduced to him, and Stiles felt a little less hostile to her on account of the fact that she shook his hand and used his real name rather than the odd nickname he'd apparently been given. 

''And  _this_ ,'' Talia gestured to the other woman, ''is Lucy.''

''Lucy?'' Stiles asked as the woman looked him over, not bothering to approach.

She smirked at him. ''My real name would burn your tongue,  _boy.''_ As she spoke she revealed pointed, needle-like teeth that completed her bizarre, unnatural image. 

Stiles raised his eyebrows and had to keep from dropping back a step, hoping that  _Lucy_ didn't have lots of friends. She was unsettling enough on her own, and Stiles was pretty sure he'd lose to her in a fight, despite not knowing anything about her. 

 _'What_ is _she?'_ Stiles asked Derek when it became clear Talia wouldn't elaborate. 

_'I think she's the new leader of her... Group, because I've never seen or heard of her before. There was a woman like her though, came to the house once when we were kids. She was only here for a moment and mom left with her before we could find out anything else. Laura always used to joke that she was a dragon, though looking at Lucy here... Laura might have been more right than she knew.'_

Stiles stared at Lucy trying to hide his horror as he imagined her body ripping apart and turning into a three-storey tall lizard with wings that could breathe fire. 

Other supernaturals started filtering into the house; two more alphas; a man called Maero that made Stiles space out for a full minute before Derek shook his out of it; a Japanese girl called Kira that looked no older than Stiles, whom he could have  _sworn_ made the light flicker when she laughed; and a tall boy called Ash, whose skin was so pale it was almost translucent, and who was so thin that his bones were visible through his skin, also smelling like stagnant water. 

The last three had Stiles turning to Derek for answers again when Talia didn't feel it necessary to explain what they were- Perhaps it was rude to ask or to tell, Stiles thought. Derek guessed that Maero was some kind of incubus or something of the sort, something able to capture people's minds. He confidently placed Kira as a kitsune, a fox spirit. Of Ash's kind, however, Derek was unsure. 

Stiles stared around at all of the strange new creatures as Talia spoke. He'd known other supernatural beings besides werewolves existed, of course, but his imagination hadn't quite captured the abnormality of his current company. He just hoped together they'd be strong enough to take on whatever it was they were facing because the fight was coming... It was already here.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Feedback and comments and hugely appreciated :-)


End file.
